The first issue of the Tajik Tribune weekly, belonging to the Union of Tajikistani in Russia, will be published before the 1 May in Tajik and Russian languages

Abdullo Davlatov, chairman of the Tajikistani told the Asia Plus news agency that the new weekly will be helping Tajik labor migrants to keep relations with their home country and learn more about their civil rights.

Shavkat Niyozi, a Tajik publicist is appointed editor of the Tajik Tribune.

Asia Plus

TOL is pleased to announce its summer lineup of journalism courses, all of which will be held in Prague in July 2008.

Beginning 6 July running through 11 July, TOL is offering its New Media Essentials course. Led by new media professionals with extensive experience in the field, this course offers everything you need to know about online media – including podcasting, RSS feeds, blogging, online promotion and much more!

13 July and running through 18 July, TOL is offering a new course in Travel Writing led by highly-experienced travel writers who have turned their wanderlust into careers. The course will provide practical training and real-world advice designed to help participants launch their own travel writing careers.

20 July-28 July, TOL will host its 7th Foreign Correspondent Training Course. Covering the ins and outs of reporting abroad, this popular course features journalists from highly-respected media outlets including the BBC, The Economist and Reuters. TOL is funding one full-scholarship to a qualified participant from selected countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

For more information about TOL’s courses, contact plockovaj@tol.org or go to http://journalism-courses.tol.org.

http://www.ijnet.org/

Editors of newspapers, wire, or online news outlets have until June 1 to apply for the opportunity to spend five weeks in the U.S. working in a professional newsroom.

Administered by the International Center for Journalists in partnership with the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the “International Journalism Exchange” program (IJE) is open to editors who have worked in journalism for at least five years, are proficient in English, but have little substantial previous travel to or training in the U.S.

The five-week program will begin October 10 with an orientation in Washington, D.C., followed by a newspaper assignment that offers exposure to all the departments of a U.S. newsroom. The program concludes with a two-day session in New York City that consists of professional group activities, including visit to The New York Times and final evaluation of the program.

For more information, visit http://www.icfj.org/OurWork/Fellowships/InternationalJournalismExchange/tabid/336/Default.aspx or email ije@icfj.org. Submit applications online at https://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/667, or via email — the application documents can be downloaded at http://www.icfj.org/OurWork/Fellowships/InternationalJournalismExchange/tabid/336/Default.aspx. Or fax or mail to International Journalism Exchange, International Center for Journalists, 1616 H Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C., 20006, U.S.A.; Tel: +1-202-737-3700; Fax: +1-202-737-0530.

http://www.ijnet.org/

An Italian freelance photo reporter Stefano Zardini came to Tajikistan to produce a thematic photo reportage about problems and achievements of the Tajik law enforcement services fighting drug trafficking and protecting the Tajik-Afghan border.

Tajik officials say that the Italian journalist came to the country upon the invitation of the Drug Control and Crime Prevention Agency (DCA) under the President of Tajikistan.

“Stefano Zardinin is going to work with the Tajik border guards while they are preparing and conduct special operations, — said the source from DCA. — The journalist then will produce a photo album, which will be disseminated among donor countries that render technical assistance to Tajikistan in training personnel for the law enforcement agencies”.

International Journalism Center MediaNet and the Kazakh International Bureau on Human Rights and Law launched a contest on best publications on problems of tortures in Central Asia.

Rukhshona Najmiddinova, Senior Media Assistant of the OSCE Center in Dushanbe told the Asia Plus news agency that the contest is one of the activities within the framework of the project “Averting tortures in Central Asia” implemented by Freedom House Europe and its partner organizations in the countries of the region under support of European Commission.

The contest jury accepts articles published in the mass media of Central Asian countries during the period from July 2007 up to date.

“Acceptable are investigative articles, analytical materials, surveys and reportages that have been published in the printing media or have been broadcast in the electronic media of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan”, — said Najmiddinova. The articles will be evaluated by an international jury comprised of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists. The deadline for submitting materials is 10 June 2008. The results will be announced on 26 June, International Day of Protection of Victims of Tortures. Three main winners will receive awards in the amounts of $1 thousand, $600 and $400».

Asia Plus

The VII Eurasian Media Forum started in Almaty on 25 April 2008.

Leading journalists, political experts and politicians are taking part in the Forum. Among them are Mr. S. Kerim, President of the 62-nd UN General Assembly, the well-known American political expert Z. Brzezinski, producer of Al Jazeera TV channel, Riz Khan, President of the Efficient Politics Foundation, G. Pavlovsky, Russian TV commentator M. Leontiev and many others.

Dariga Nazarbayeva, Chair of the Forum said that the main focus will be made on the most important international events, and their coverage by the media around the globe. The Forum’s agenda contains many topical issues, such as the new coil of confrontation between the West and Russia, the problem of separatism in the light of proclamation of independence of Kosovo, the role of the media in conditions of bilingualism and the confrontation of civilizations, the phenomenon of the fast economic growth in China, risk factors for the CIS countries, etc.

Tajikistan is represented by the Tajik ambassador to Kazakhstan Bakhrom Kholnazarov, head of the analytical center Sharq Saodat Olimova and editor of the Asia Plus weekly Umed Babakhanov.

http://toptj.com/

Foreign Ministries of the countries members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have adopted a media plan to cover the forthcoming summit of leaders of the SCO States. The summit is scheduled for August 2008.

The SCO Secretariat has also discussed a wide range of issues related with strengthening of information activities of the Organization and interrelations among press services of the SCO member-countries’ Foreign Ministries.

Currently, SCO consists of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China.

http://toptj.com/

Tajik authorities have taken the independent Imruz (Today) radio station off the air, citing «technical problems.»

Since it began broadcasting last summer, Imruz had become the most popular FM station in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, and the surrounding area. Among the locals, Imruz was known as a «serious radio station.» It broadcast news and reports focusing on Tajikistan’s political and social sphere, as well as music.

The radio’s bosses and editors have been reluctant to talk to the media since the decision was made on April 8. «The motives are still unclear,» says Rustami Joni, the head of radio Imruz. «I don’t think the decision [to stop the radio] has anything to do with the Tajik government.»

Joni added that a few days before the radio’s closure «officials» were checking the content of the radio station’s reports from early April, but he stopped short of saying who «the officials» were.

Unlike many other local radio stations, Imruz did not avoid criticizing the country’s political scene. All politicians, including opposition leaders and critics of the government, have had access to the station. One of its recent guests was Rahmatullo Zoirov, the leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party and an outspoken critic of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

Fearing pressure and reprisals, most local media outlets in Tajikistan try to avoid direct criticism of the government and top officials, and decide to self-censor their work.

A few days before being shut down, Imruz reported on a planned public protest in the eastern city of Khorog, saying that the local people were increasingly dissatisfied with their low and often unpaid wages, as well as with the growing food prices.

The same day, the radio station aired a commentary on the country’s high unemployment — one of the biggest problems in Tajikistan — and the plight of Tajik migrant laborers in Russia. The commentary made a gloomy prediction, saying that in the next few years half of Tajikistan’s population will become seasonal workers in Russia. The radio station also covered Tajikistan’s admission that it lied to the International Monetary Fund, which has demanded the return of $46 million in loans.

Independent journalist Rajabi Mirzo says that so far only Russian-language media in Tajikistan would dare to take such a critical tone. «Tajik-language media have much more influence and impact in Tajikistan and therefore they could become more dangerous [for the government],» Mirzo says. «Radio Imruz was the first local FM station to broadcast its programs entirely in the Tajik language. It focused on subjects that so far have only been covered by Russian-language radios. So it wasn’t acceptable for many people [in the government].»

Criticizing Rahmon’s government is a rare occurrence among Tajik media. Those who have dared to do so have been penalized. Almost all independent publications that have been critical of the government or the president, including the dailies «Ruzi nav,» «Odamu olam,» and «Nirui sukhan» have been shut down in recent years. Even the BBC was removed from the FM band more than two years ago.

Many Tajiks say the authorities should focus on solving the country’s social and economic problems instead of shutting down media outlets that criticize the current situation.

It remains unclear when Imruz will get permission to broadcast again. Some people predict it will come back on the air, but that it will be much more cautious after getting what amounts to a rebuke from the government.

It is not the first time that Imruz has been taken off the air. It was shut down in February but was back on the air less than three days later.

Imruz’s listeners have one more reason to hope that their favorite FM station will return to the airways soon. The radio indirectly belongs to the Tajik president’s influential and wealthy brother-in-law, Hasan Sadulloev. Sadulloev is the head of Orien Bank, one of the biggest in the country, which owns Imruz as a part of its so-called media-holding group.

The closure of Imruz shows that even some of the closest people to President Rahmon must exercise caution when it comes to criticizing his government’s policies or problems in the country.

(Farangis Najibullah is an RFE/RL correspondent based in Prague. RFE/RL’s Tajik Service contributed to this report.)

Farangis Najibullah is an RFE/RL correspondent bas

Источник: RFE/RL

During the last three days, the Tajik media holding Oriyono Media has sent three official letters addressed to the State enterprise Tajikteleradiocom. Rustam Joni, director of the media holding expresses concern over the termination of broadcasting of Imrouz, a private radio station belonging to Oriyono Media.

Rustam Joni told the Asia Plus news agency that thousands of radio listeners do not have access to information, and the radio company is bearing losses – because of negligence of Tajikteleradiocom, the State communication facility in charge of dissemination of radio frequencies.

“Nonfulfillment of duties has led to violation of Tajikistan’s Law on “Printing and other mass media”, — said Joni. — In case of failure to renew broadcasting of Radio Imrouz, we reserve the right to file a charge against the enterprise. This muddle causes ridiculous rumors and allegations among the population regarding the silence of our radio station”.

In the meantime, Faizullo Salikhov, technical director of Tajikteleradiocom told Asia Plus that the allegations of the founder of Imrouz regarding delinquencies by the State agency are ungrounded.

Radio Imrouz founded in 2007, broadcasts at the frequency of 107,6 FM in Dushanbe, Kurgan-Tube, Tursunzade and Vakhdat.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Olim Salimzoda, one of the designers of the draft law and representative of the government said that the new law is expected to become a new step towards democracy.

Salimzoda considers that the new law guarantees transparency of actions among the government institutions and local authorities. “Any citizen has the right to approach any State institution verbally or in written form requesting information in any format – verbal, electronic, audio or visual”, — added the parliamentarian.

The new law regulates the mechanism of receipt of information establishing terms of provision. It is compatible with the laws “On printing and other mass media”, “On Information”, “On informatization” and “On television and radio”.

According to the new law, the applicant must receive any officially requested information from authorities within one week, unless additional documents are needed for preparation of requested data. I such a case, information must be provided to the applicant within one month. In case of impossibility to present requested data, the State institution must clearly explain the reasons.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/