I. Introduction This master’s thesis represents study of female newspaper and magazine editors in Azerbaijan based on Western and Soviet definitions of journalism with explanation of local national features of this p

ABSTRACT

This article is based upon research project “Woman journalist: case study of Azerbaijani female editors” implemented in Azerbaijan in May-November 2011 and designed to examine female editorial community that was omitted by the 2008 research “Professionalization of Azerbaijani Journalists in regard to ethical standards” where we provided typology of male editors of the largest nationwide newspapers in Azerbaijan. In this thesis we will examine developments of post-Soviet media system in Azerbaijan this time through the prism of female editors and will touch upon such processes as professionalization or respectively deprofessionalization as well as proletarization of journalists in Azerbaijan. The purpose of this research is to map ethical and value orientations of females working as editors of newspapers and magazines in Azerbaijan, provide their typology and highlight the gender based differences in Azerbaijani editorial community. The results of our research suggest that even though female editors are more experienced and professionally fit than their male colleagues they, being less lenient to break professional ethics, embrace a bystander role in political confrontation and thus select to lead independent or media outlets focusing on nonpolitical coverage of specific areas of knowledge. Another noteworthy result of the research is the finding that the extortionist journalism labeled by male editors as the product of the post-Soviet period actually existed long before the collapse of the USSR and its journalism system.

KEY WORDS: professionalization, Azerbaijanii female editors, journalistic profession, political instrumentalism, deprofessionalization, proletarization, extortionist newspapers, Press Council, Azerbaijan Journalists Union, Soviet media system, objectivity, unveiling, first Azerbaijani female journalist, mass media in Azerbaijan, Press Council


Preface
The research for this thesis was carried out in two cities of Azerbaijan: Baku and the second largest city Ganja. The thesis would not have been possible without the constant support and encouragement by PhDr. Jaromir Volek Ph.D and my father Ismayil Valiyev.
In addition, I would like to stress my gratitude to the staff of Media Forum and Internews-Azerbaijan for their on-sight support and the female editors that participated in our research.

Special thanks to Mgr. Geda Montvilaite for invaluable support during preparation of this publication.