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Cultural Studies
ROLE OF TELEVISION IN THE FORMATION OF THE MARKET ECONOMY AND HOLDING ELECTIONS
Author:
City
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Baku
Country :
Azerbaijan
Pages
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1
Since their birth the public and private TV channels of Azerbaijan have been fulfilling the function of mass media. The independence of Azerbaijan became a turning point in the development of the national television. The broadcasting functions of programs stepped on the road of democratization. The information program Khabarci of ANS, an independent broadcasting and media company, speeded the development of democratic values. Prof. Aydin Dadashov notes that in democratic environments television plays an exceptional role in the formation of social consciousness, it is an important tool for coming to power and preserving it, because the coefficient of its impact on the social consciousness is very high. Even the most update technology turns into a lifeless thing if there does not exist a well-thought, exact and purposeful political marketing. Movement to the forefront the values of different social and ethnic groups connected with their moral-spiritual demands depends on the professionalism of reporters 1. Development of the market economy gave a new direction to the progress of the commercial TV channels. The presidential decree dated August 6, 1998, “On the Additional Measures for Ensuring the Freedom of Word, Thought and Press in the Republic of Azerbaijan” liquidated the censorship on mass media. In 2000 new reforms began in the sphere of the TV legislation. In the October of the 2002 the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Tele-radio Broadcasting” gained force. Since 2003 the National Tele-radio Broadcasting Board and Press Board began to function.
Unbiased and objective illumination demands from each television reporter great attention and responsibility. Democratic elections create conditions for the healthy and honest people to come to power in the country, they obstacle the criminal and corrupted people to occupy posts in the public institutions by establishing the principle of justice 2. The main task of mass media is to convey true information to the electors. It is also true that the mass media allocate time for the parties taking part in the elections free-of-charge and also for payment. The speeches of the representatives of the political parties may be organized lively, or in the form of a video-record. The desires and appeals of the speaker in live broadcast create certain imagination in the electors about the nature and goal of the candidate. All the candidates are given equal time to disclose their views. The opposition parties face various obstacles connected with financial problems in order to get air-time.
Presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be held on October 15, 2008. It is natural that mass media will follow the process. The Central Election Commission held a special conference for the representatives of the mass media on April 28, 2008. It discussed in detail how to illuminate the election processes.
“Reporter Liberties and Human Rights” Declaration adopted in the Fourth European Conference in 1994 in Prague notes that the support to the real democracy and its development demand the presence of a free, pluralist and responsible journalism and its strengthening. The Declaration obliges the journalists:
-to inform the citizens on the activities of the state and private sector for enabling them to have their own personal views;
- to create opportunities for the citizens and social groups to express their views, make the state bodies, the private sector and the whole society be aware of these views and opinions;
- to subject to criticism the activities of various state bodies constantly.
Every individual, who has assimilated the democratic values, is able to express his will freely, and at the same time he knows the civil way how to convey it to others. Television has an important role for ensuring transparency in all the stages of elections (pre-election, election day and past election) The present pre-election advertisement campaign has two effective means: meeting with the electors and television. In fact, television becomes an arena of political struggle of the candidates who want to win the confidence of the electors . The television must show the problems and processes on going everywhere, disclose their essence, secrets on behalf of the state, culture or experts. Everyday television develops the model of the world, includes our life space into that of the world. For this purpose television must travel the world, not like a tourist, but like the Old Bilga 3. At this stage the main condition is to allocate equal air-time and opportunities for all the candidates and political parties for self-advertisement and political struggle. Because in the pre-election period people follow the speeches of the candidates just on TV, the political rivals try to advertise themselves and their ideas through TV.
Professor of philosophy Niyazi Mehdi thinks that TV is one of the tools which keeps the words and description of a culture in its memory completely. The errors committed in it make TV lose its functions as TV. To save TV from unexpected chances one must assimilate the Oriental thinking and Oriental manner of conduction of talks. Undoubtedly, to be able to do them the reporters must be talented and well-trained. For this purpose there must be a strong modern electronic computing system able to speed the search of men like Bilga in the memory of that culture and television 4. Enlightenment of electors is one of the significant issues in the pre-election campaign. In this stage the voting procedures and the right of choice are explained to the electors by means of media, particularly by TV advertisements. Taking into account the desire of the population TV may convey the latest information obtained from the Central Election Commission and various polling stations. On the basis of this information the electors analyze the counting of votes, or whether they have expressed their will freely. In the post-election stage TV mediates between the government and society and the public opinion is objectively valued. It avoids the steps contradicting the interests of the people. Development of the democracy and growth of its coverage are estimated by the opportunities of the civil society able to influence the political system.
In 1970 in Canada for the first time a parliamentary TV channel began its program. It was the real expression of democratic values on TV. In some countries of the world the sittings of the parliaments are broadcasted lively, the population get acquainted with the speeches of parliamentarians and high officials. Some politicians call this TV the window of democracy, an electronic bridge between the parliament and population.
Interaction in TV, that is, back contact, response from the spectators, is one of the significant means which influences the development of democracy. This experience was first used in the mids of the 1990, in Great Britain and in the TV channels of other western countries. Now the world TV benefits from it. The live participation of the spectator in discussions on TV on some topics, telephone contacts with the TV studio, demonstration of the position of the spectators actively to the discussed problems through electronic inquiries as parts of interaction bring a real air of transparency to the tele-air. The Declaration on Human Rights (Clause 19) says: ”Everyone has the right of freedom of word, freedom of expression.” M.E. Rasul-zade wrote: ”The rule of oppression, despotism and monarchy are engaged in concealing the truth . All the possible thefts, crookedness and swindling are done behind their veil 5. At present one of the objectives facing TV is to safeguard the statehood and serve the variegated pluralism of thought. Expression of opinions and considerations objectively by citizens, a tolerant approach to the position of others contribute to the real expression of public opinion and development of spiritual balance in society.
The situation of the independent media is quite different. A part of mass media understands well the laws of the market economy and commerce, the role public opinion, knows what is honesty and purity. Independent media is commercial in nature. It does not like to serve a definite person, or a group, or the interests of a party. Commerce oblige, the newspaper, or a TV channel to serve all the layers of society 6.
In the election campaign transmission of information in the form of a tele- interview, or tele-conversation depends on the professionalism of the reporter. Brevity and coverage of the question activate the disclosure of the reality more. The active intrusion of the reporter to the meeting of the candidates with their electors on TV in the election marathon very often causes debates. Because, the participation of the candidate in the paid tele-meeting together with a professional reporter, who is a supporter of the candidate, very often produces a reverse reaction. And if the candidate appears in the tele-meeting with a non-professional reporter, the candidate takes the initiative and directs the meeting to the genre not inclined to intercourse 7.
As it is known mass media, particularly TV, has played a special role in the conduction of six presidential ( 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008), three parliamentary (1995, 2000, 2005), two municipal elections (1999, 2004) and three referendums (1993, 1995, 2002). Inking fingers, which has undergone the test of the world experience, application of exit-polls, which ensures the public control on elections, observation of elections by thousands of foreign and local observers, banning the approach of police to the polling stations for no less than 100 meters and other measures created condition for holding democratic elections. In general, with the development and perfection of TV it acquires new hues and tints, contributes to the birth of variegated programs. Along with it, the social contacts of television with the society, with its problems, reality and desires, are growing and strengthening day by day 8. Our appeal to such a topic is naturally of great significance for the contemporary TV science. It is noted in the Instruction of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On the Formation of a State Commission for the Conduction of Reforms in the field of science in Azerbaijan”: “The period of national independence actualizes the illumination of many problems connected with the cultural-spiritual values of our people from a new point of view, from the point of view of Azerbaijanism” 9. In the years of independence the historical past of our national TV, its current state, directions of its development have become a cultural phenomenon and subject for researches. Along with it, the specific rules and principles of our national TV, creative perspectives are studied as an organic integral part of the world culture and art.
REFERENCES
1.A.Dadaşov. Televiziya reklamı demokratiya və bazaar iqtisadiyyatı kontekstində. BDU-nun nəşriyyatı, 2008
2.Z.Məmmədli. Danışan güzgünün sirri, B., 1985
3.N.Mehdi. Sənətin arxeologiyası sənətin arxitektonikası, B., Qanun, 2007
4.M.Ə.Rəsulzadə. Əsərləri, II cild, B., 2001
5.C.Məmmədli. Azərbaycan jurnalistikası bazar münasibətlərinə keçid dövründə, “525-ci qəzet”, 28 iyun 2001-ci il
6.E.Quliyev. Televiziya iki əsrin ayrıcında, B., İşıq, 1993
7. “Respublika” qəzeti, 11 aprel 2008-ci il
8.E.Quliyev. Televiziya iki əsrin ayrıcında, B., İşıq, 1993, s. 32.
9.Respublika qəzeti, 11 aprel 20.
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