UNESCO has released the English version of a press freedom report online. The report is derived from World Press Freedom Day 2007 speeches and presentations. The World Press Freedom Day 2007 conference, dedicated to press freedom and the safety of journalist’s impunity, took place in Medellin, Colombia on May 3, 2007.

The conference was attended by media professionals, government officials and human rights defenders addressing various issues such as journalism safety, corruption and investigative journalism.
To learn more visit: http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=25845&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.

http://www.ijnet.org/

Information vacuum in Tajikistan: most of printing outlets will not be published this week.

As of 8 February, the government printing enterprise “Sharki Ozod” has been having power supply only ten hours a day – from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., according to the schedule of limitations endorsed by the national authorities. Most of the Tajik printing outlets are published at “Sharki Ozod”.

Manzurkhon Dodokhonov, director of “Sharki Ozod” told the Asia Plus news agency that he has conveyed his concern about the limitations of power supply to the President’s office. However, the authorities have not taken any specific measures. Besides that, the established schedule is not observed; on 11 February, power supply was stopped at 7:30 a.m.

Technicians now have to work “snatchingly”, or using a diesel power generator in order to perform orders from newspapers. Most of Tajikistan’s periodicals are published on Wednesdays, but the printing facility remain “de-energized”. Engineers of the printing house express concern saying that very few of the newspapers will be published this week.

Sharifkhon Samiev, head of the “Barki Tojik” energy holding, speaking at a press conference on 8 February, said that “some State enterprises of special importance will be supplied with power”.

In practice, the State printing enterprise where 95 percent of Tajikistan’s newspapers are published, does not belong to this category.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

IFC and “Business & Politics” are launching a public campaign on corporate governance

The public awareness campaign is targeted towards a wide audience of readers – managers of joint stock companies, heads of business councils, state enterprises, university students, mass media and shareholders.

Project implementers are also planning to publish a special information insert to the “Business & Politics” weekly. This insert will contain samples of best practices of corporate governance, description of global trends, tools for introduction of corporate governance in Tajik companies and business entities. The publications will contain a “questions-and-answers” column where the project experts will be sharing their experience with readers.

The two-year project envisages a wide-scale public information campaign for development of corporate governance skills at multiple levels.

Background information
Being a member of the World Bank Group, IFC promotes sustainable economic development in developing countries by financing of private sector, mobilization of funds in both domestic and international financial markets, providing consultative services to companies and governments on risk management. In 2007, IFC invested $8,2 billion, and mobilized additionally $3,9 billion in the form of participation in credits and structured financing in 299 projects implemented in 69 countries in transition. In 2007, IFC provided consultative services in 97 countries. Additional information is available at: www.ifc.org.

Business & Politics

The first issue of a new Tajik weekly “Konun va Jomea” (Law and Society) is published by the Ministry of Interior in Tajik and Russian languages

According to the resolution of the Tajik government issued in November 2007, the new weekly newspaper’s editing board is included in the staff of the Interior Ministry.

The first issue of “Konun and Jomea” is dedicated to the 83-rd anniversary of Tajikistan’s police. The issue also contains official information from the national government and a statement by the Ministry of Interior concerning the recent incident in Rasht valley of Tajikistan resulted in the death of Oleg Zakharchenko, commander of the Ministry’s special reaction brigade.

The weekly also contains a special “fiction page”, and a legal consultancy column for readers.

The newspapers will be published by the State printing house “Sharki Ozod”; the weekly number of copies will be 7,5 thousand.

Chief editor of the new weekly is lieutenant colonel Islom Nozimov. A well known Tajik journalist Tilloi Nekkadam also performs editorial functions in the newspaper.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Zulfiya Atoi, editor of a magazine for women “Firuza” told Asia Plus news agency that the publication of the outlet will resume.

Atoi says that the magazine previously was published on a quarterly basis, and quite irregularly; now it will become a monthly outlet. “We have completely changed the image of our magazine, — says the editor. — It used to be an educational magazine; now, it will be targeted towards the contemporary female audience, i.e. for those who keeps up with the times”. The new magazine will contain special columns on politics, health, culture and education.

The editors and publishers of “Firuza” have increased the magazine’s circulation, and expanded the areas of dissemination; the outlet will be available in Khatlon, Sughd, Gorno-Badakhshan and in the areas of so-called Republican Subordination (i.e. adjacent to the capital). Expectedly, the monthly number of copies will be 7 thousand.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

New director of the National Information Agency “Khovar” will be introduced to subordinates.

Zafar Saidzoda, who since 2003 headed the national news agency is advanced to the position of Senior Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy.

Zafar Saidzoda is 46 years old. An alumnus of the Tajik State University, he embarked upon pedagogical profession in 1983. Since then, he worked in the Central Youth Committee of Tajikistan, in the Supreme Council of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic; he headed the Press Center of the President and the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Foreign Ministry Press Service. From 1995 to 2003 Saidzoda was Press Secretary to the President of Tajikistan.

Zafar Saidzoda is the author, co-author and compiler of a number of books about President Emomali Rakhmon. In 2000 he published his analytical manuscript totled “Social estrangement as an antipode of human freedom: dialectical logic”.

Saidzoda is a member of the Tajik Union of Journalists, and a laureate of the national award for journalists named after Abdulkosim Lakhuti.

http://www.khovar.tj/

The Tajik branch of the British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) held a round table on the topic “Strengthening capacities of media education in Tajikistan. The event was attended by deans of journalism faculties of leading Tajik universities and practicing journalists applying IWPR standards.

Participants discussed topical problems in the sphere of education and preparation of qualified journalists for local media organizations. They also discussed the ways of efficient cooperation and strengthening of teaching capacities in Tajik educational institutions.

The participants supported the idea of developing new teaching methodologies and textbooks for students; they proposed to increase practical exercises based upon the experience of the leading media, including the application of IWPR standards of writing and editing incorporated into curricula of journalism faculties in the neighboring Kyrgys Republic.

Saodat Asanova, director of IWPR office in Tajikistan expressed readiness to assist in exchange of experience among teachers and professors of universities in Central Asia, in particular, between teachers of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

IWPR is widely known as an independent organization supporting mass media in conflict areas and in countries in transition. The main activity of IWPR is practical projects in the sphere of media development. IWPR started working in Central Asia in 1999.

www.iwpr.net

A new textbook “Reportages in the name of changes: manual for journalists in crisis areas” was presented in Dushanbe by IWPR.

A new textbook “Reportages in the name of changes: manual for journalists in crisis areas” was presented in Dushanbe by the British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).

This is a practical manual for journalists who try to make their input and make positive changes in crisis situations.

Journalists are especially prone to various risks. However, more and more countries are choosing democratic ways of development, and the role of media professionals is gaining special importance.

”This manual is based upon a rich training and practical experience of journalists working for IWPR all over the world. The book includes theoretical materials and practical exercises, which will help Tajik journalists to develop their professional skills”, said Saodat Asanova, director of IWPR office in Tajikistan.

The book is published with support from the British Ministry of International Development and other donors. The original English version of the book has been translated so far into Russian and Persian languages.

IWPR actively works with Tajik media in the sphere of training. In online publications, IWPR contributors cover geopolitical, economic and cultural developments in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. Detailed information and subscription to the online version of IWPR materials are available at: www.iwpr.net

www.iwpr.net

The OSCE Academy is planning to launch a series of workshops for journalists in Central Asia. The workshops will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic.

The program consists of four seminars preliminary scheduled for March, June, September and November of 2008. The purpose of the program is to enhance professional skills of journalists, and provide them with knowledge about the role of the media in democratic processes. There will be practical sessions, i.e. writing of stories, articles, news analyses, etc. applying international standards of writing. Special attention will be paid to objectiveness, accuracy of data, the use of multiple sources of information. Organizers are planning lectures on the role of the media (media and politics; the media and elections, etc.). The lectures will cover the issues of politics, economy and environment in the countries of Central Asia.

Detailed information is available at: http://www.nansmit.tj/?page=events&id=67

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

“Media and Law” covers practical and theoretical issues of Tajikistan’s journalism. You can visit the following links to learn more:
http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=138, http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=141, http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=137, http://www.nansmit.tj/publish/?id=140

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