On 27 September European Commission organized a workshop for printing and electronic media professionals.

According to Varorud news agency, the workshop is covering the issues of newspaper marketing and management.

Nazira Raimkoulova, trainer from Kyrgyzstan says that “During the two days of training media professionals will learn how to survive in market conditions. Among the topics for discussion are strategy and culture of sales, human resource management, and sales operations”.

Raimkoulova also said that a similar workshop has already been conducted for personnel of local TV stations in Khujand.

http://www.varorud.org/

Tajik journalists discuss the issues of labor migration at a workshop organized by Internews Network and IOM.

According to Sarvinoz Niyazova, Internews Network project assistant, 15 journalists from all regions of Tajikistan are taking part in a workshop on the problems of labor migration. Trainers are leading experts in journalism – Jovid Mukim and Mukarrama Burkhanova.

The workshop will be accomplished on 29 September. Its goal is to enhance professional skills of journalists in the issues of labor migration.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Press review, 27 September 2007

Press review in Russian is available at: [url=http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=117]http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=117[/url]

NANSMIT monitoring service

”Subscription Campaign 2008” is underway in Tajikistan. In some districts public administration applies old traditions – the subscription is “voluntary-compulsory”.

The Kulyab city branch of People-Democratic Party (PDPT) is adherent to old traditions. NANSMIT monitoring service learned from reliable sources that the PDPT city branch has developed a special task for its 57 primary organizations in Kulyab city and neighboring districts. According to this allotment, the party members must subscribe to 197 copies of Minbari Khalk, the PDPT printing outlet (the total cost of this subscription is 8,865 Somoni). 114 party members are obliged to read Khamrozi Khalk, the PDPT Khatlon province newspaper, which will cost them 2,166. And other 296 party members are to read Sadoi Kulob newspaper rpinted by the Kulyab affiliate of PDPT. This “love to reading” will cost them 7,696 Somoni.

NANSMIT monitoring service

A two-day workshop on legal education and media legislation for journalists started on 25 September in Khujand.

Farrukhsho Junaidov, representative of Internews Network and trainer informed NANSMIT that journalists of both printing and electronic media of Sughd province are taking part in the workshop.

The workshop is organized by Internews Network office in Tajikistan under financial support from USAID. The workshop’s main goal is to enhance knowledge of journalists in the sphere of media legislation. Participants are going to discuss the issues of defamation in the Internet, the right for confutation of information in the press and other issues.

Junaidov also made some comments on the status of Sughd journalists, which so far has not been in full compliance with legal and professional requirements. “Compared to other regions of the country, the Sughd province journalists are quite skilled; however, they need to study the legislation and improve their professional legal knowledge”.

NANSMIT monitoring service

“US Ambassador Tracy Jacobson says that her country protects freedom of speech, and she hopes that the Tajik government will create free environment for the media in the country”. BBC news line, 24 September 2007

Commenting the newly adopted amendments in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code concerning the criminalization of Internet materials containing alleged defamation of individuals, the US Ambassador to Tajikistan Tracy Jacobson said, “We are monitoring the ongoing developments, and we’ll be watching closely the practical implementation of the amended legislation. In case of problems, we will require the Tajik government to respect the freedom of expression.”

The draft amendments in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code concerning criminal responsibility for publications in the Internet have been adopted in the country, which has very few Internet users. Experts say that this step will further enforce self-censorship. It is seen as an essential impediment to dissemination of information among Tajik citizens.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

OSCE official criticizes Tajik government for amendments in legislation against the media.

In a statement issued in Vienna, Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE representative on freedom of the media, on September 21 called for Tajikistan to «bring its legislation in line with its OSCE commitments by revoking recent criminal code amendments that restrict the freedom of speech,» according to RFE/RL and the OSCE website ([url=http://www.osce.org]ссылка[/url]).

The OSCE official specifically pointed to the amendments to the Tajik criminal code, recently signed into law by President Emomali Rahmon, that criminalize the «intentional distribution via the Internet of knowingly false, libelous, and insulting information, as well as expletive words and phrases which denigrate the dignity» of a person’s character. Haraszti noted that «under this law, any factual mistake or strong opinion published, republished, reported, or discussed on the Internet can be penalized.» He warned that the new legislation used words such as Internet, information, and distribution «so vaguely that it could be broadly interpreted and arbitrarily implemented to criminalize public discussions.» He concluded by reminding the Tajik government that the country has «missed an opportunity to transfer all press offences from the criminal to the civil-law court, as expected by international standards of facilitating free discussion of public issues.» RG

RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 11, No. 177, Part I, 24 September 2007