GUSAR, Azerbaijan, July 16. Providing professional, accurate and responsible coverage of religious issues in the modern information environment is one of the key responsibilities of media organizations, Daghbeyi Ismayilov, deputy chairman of the board of AZERTAC, said, Trend’s correspondent reports from the event.
Ismayilov made the remarks during a conference in Qusar titled “Coverage of Religious Issues in the Media: Shared Responsibility for Maintaining Religious Stability.”
He said that in a rapidly developing information society, the media is no longer only a tool for delivering news but also an important social institution that influences public opinion, people’s worldviews and moral values.
“Professionalism and awareness in the media’s approach to religious issues are particularly important. The topic we are discussing today is highly relevant from this perspective,” he said.
Ismayilov noted that the Azerbaijani government pursues a consistent and principled policy in the field of religion.
According to him, the Constitution of Azerbaijan grants every citizen the right to freedom of conscience and religious belief, which is not only one of the country’s fundamental legal and political principles but also serves social stability and harmony.
He said relations between religion and the media in Azerbaijan are regulated by the laws “On Freedom of Religious Belief” and “On Media.”
“Religion is separate from the state in Azerbaijan. At the same time, the state continues to pay close attention to this area because religion is not only an individual belief but also a sphere that has a significant impact on public relations. Therefore, religious stability and transparency are protected through both legal mechanisms and information tools,” he said.
The AZERTAC official said the information environment is changing rapidly and that while the development of social media has made the spread of information much easier, it has also reduced the ability to control this process.
“In such conditions, the issue of preserving religious stability becomes even more important. The media’s role is not only to distribute information but also to educate, promote national and moral values, and encourage religious tolerance in society,” he said.
Ismayilov said one of the main pillars of religious stability is religious literacy and public awareness.
“Providing young people with accurate and reliable religious knowledge is one of the important responsibilities of the media. Wherever a gap emerges, it is filled either by ignorance or by external radical messages. Azerbaijani media is taking timely and decisive action against such cases,” he said.
According to Ismayilov, religious stability does not simply mean the absence of conflict between different religious communities.
“Religious stability is a healthy social environment where mutual respect, freedom of conscience, tolerance toward religious diversity and the rule of law are ensured. In such conditions, every person can freely express their religious beliefs while respecting the beliefs of others. This is an important condition both for society’s moral unity and for national security,” he said.
Ismayilov stressed that preserving religious stability is not only the responsibility of state institutions and religious communities but also a shared duty of the media, educational institutions, civil society and every responsible citizen.
“The media plays a special role in this process because society’s attitude toward religious issues is largely shaped in the information space. Accurate, impartial and professional information strengthens public trust and prevents misconceptions and radical messages. Conversely, unverified information, manipulative presentations and superficial approaches to sensitive religious issues can create tension in society and harm religious stability,” he said.
The deputy chairman of AZERTAC’s board said the agency has always based its work on the principles of professionalism, efficiency, objectivity and reliability.
“As a state news agency, AZERTAC will continue contributing to the accurate and balanced coverage of religious issues, the development of a healthy information environment, the promotion of national and moral values, and the strengthening of religious harmony in Azerbaijan,” he said.
Concluding his remarks, Ismayilov expressed confidence that the ideas and proposals voiced during the conference would contribute to stronger cooperation between the media and religious institutions, the development of professional approaches in this field and the further strengthening of religious stability in Azerbaijan.
