In the second of two blogs to mark 20 years of BBC broadcasts to Central Asia and the Caucasus, Konul Khalilova, Editor, BBC Azeri and former BBC Azeri producer and senior producer from 2007-2013, considers the importance of the service to her personally and marvels at its growth and innovation.
“Working for the BBC is my biggest dream.” How often do I hear these words as I interview journalists for a BBC Azeri job? And I know all too well what they mean.
The BBC came to Azerbaijan at a very special and difficult time: a newly independent former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, in painful transition from socialist economy, in a state of a volatile ceasefire in a bitter war with Armenia over Karabakh.
When BBC Azeri radio was aired on FM and medium waves in Azerbaijan and the wider region, I was one of its loyal listeners. I knew and loved the voice of every journalist – and yes, it was my biggest dream to work for the BBC.
BBC Azeri radio offered a very special listening experience then, especially for someone who grew up listening to the Soviet radio. This new radio spoke in my mother tongue – while delivering news in a very different manner. I trusted those voices and the news they brought.
BBC Azeri brought about a lot of firsts - and often just pure gems - to Azerbaijani radio audiences. But for me, BBC Azeri’s programmes were also invaluable as a daily showcase of what journalism is about. They helped me to learn how to provide balanced news coverage; how to ask difficult, inconvenient and uncomfortable questions.
Today, I am proud to be leading the service which made such a difference to me and to so many other Azeri-speaking news seekers.
The BBC Azeri radio broadcasts stopped in 2011. Selecting the web as our only broadcasting platform was a new chapter for BBC Azeri. In less than three years after we switched from radio to online, our traffic on the web grew by 1300%. As one of BBC World Service’s smallest language teams, with just six employees, we are a news source of choice for Azeri-speaking online and social-media audiences, wherever they are.
The move from Bush House to the New Broadcasting House in 2012 brought us even closer to the rest of the BBC. Now part of the World Service Europe Hub, BBC Azeri is closely involved in - and benefits from - the never-ending process of innovation. We make the most of technological developments at the World Service to better connect with our loyal audiences, and to reach new, younger audiences.
As our online audience grows, so does our presence on social media and mobiles. The number of our subscribers on YouTube, for example, has almost doubled since 2013. Crucial indicators of engagement – minutes watched and number of views, have grown by approximately 700% in the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to the previous quarter.
We bring to our readers the BBC’s unparalleled coverage of global and regional events. But we also do something no Azerbaijani media outlet does: We provide impartial reports on the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan; and coverage of Armenian social and cultural stories, in Azerbaijani. BBC Azeri is the only Azerbaijani-language news organisation that provides such coverage of Armenia.
There are a lot of media outlets in Azerbaijan. But unbiased, objective news is still hard to come by in the country’s restrictive media environment. Independent journalists – as well as political activists – are harassed and imprisoned.
This creates a lot of challenges for our newsgathering in the country: a number of experts and contributors, whose opinions we seek for our news and analysis, are in detention. Many people in the West see the charges against them as politically motivated.
The political climate in Azerbaijan is now such that even employing a new reporter has become difficult. There is a pattern of Azeri journalists being reluctant to take on the otherwise coveted BBC job, for fear of harassment.
But, regardless of any political developments in Azerbaijan, one thing remains unchanged: today, just as 20 years ago, BBC Azeri continues to be a very special news source. We are making a difference in a media market that is in need of trusted news.
Konul Khalilova is Editor, BBC Azeri
