Video journalists interested in freelance opportunities with an online international news network are being invited to send their resumes and work samples to the Video Journalism Movement.

Journalists will be expected to complete local news stories in a 1 to 2 week period. Stories should have an international angle and be for a worldwide audience. VJ Movement will pay journalists a flat fee for every story submitted.

There is no deadline for application, as VJ Movement is constantly looking for freelancers.

For more information contact Emily Kopp at ekopp@vjmovement.com.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/freelance_opportunity_offered_for_video_journalis

In preparation for the launch of new resources for journalists on reporting on climate change, Reuters AlertNet is asking for journalists’ input.

AlertNet is asking: «What would help you report on global warming from a humanitarian perspective: a climate change ‘Heads Up’, a database of climate and disaster experts, a regular summary of key research, a diary of events, training?»

To see AlertNet’s current resources, go to http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/climate.htm.

E-mail suggestions to Megan Rowling at megan.rowling@thomsonreuters.com.
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https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/journalists_ideas_sought_for_climate_change_resou

A new Google feature brings truth to the phrase «World Wide Web» by allowing users to access news and information in languages that they do not speak.

Google Reader has leveraged Google Translate technology to automatically convert any RSS feed to a user’s preferred language.

To use the new offering, subscribe to any feed. Once subscribed, select ‘Translate into my language’ from ‘Feed settings…’ and the feed will be automatically translated to the best of Google’s ability, based on a user’s default language preference.

To learn more go to http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2008/11/is-your-web-truly-world-wide.html.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/google_unveils_rss_feed_translator_feature

The Open Society Institute organized a round table in Dushanbe and held a presentation of a study on the level of education among Tajik journalists.

The main methodology applied in the study was interviewing of experts. Twenty experts took part in the study – professors of faculties of journalism in Tajik universities, correspondents, editors and managers of the Tajik media, representatives of educational institutions and employees of international organizations.

The study says that since the early 1990-s, there have not been any daily newspapers in Tajikistan. Akbarali Sattorov, chairman of the Union of Journalists and publisher of several newspapers says that the country does not have a network for dissemination of printing outlets, and periodicals cannot be timely delivered to remote areas, whilst the government does not make any allocations to improve the system of postal deliveries.

Experts stressed that the absence of daily newspapers impedes development of the printing media market. Among the main problems experts indicated the lack of professionals, problems with advertisers, and insufficient legal education.

Many newspapers, mainly the Tajik-language ones violate ethical principles, and their publications contain offensive statements, which can lead to trials in court.

Experts also noted that the local private radio companies work with information in a more efficient manner since they have to compete with foreign electronic media available within Tajikistan’s information space.

At the same time, there are no radio stations working in the format of talk radio. Most of the FM stations prefer music to news and serious analytical programs. Experts say that radio stations in provinces are more interesting and informative rather than in the capital.

http://www.khovar.tj/

Tajik media professionals are concerned about the recent amendments in the domestic Criminal Code establishing responsibility for “libel” and “defamation”. Eight articles of the Criminal Code have been amended regardless of numerous appeals by the media and public organizations. Moreover, the lawmakers have “equated” online outlets with printing and broadcasting media.
“The new legal provisions are ridiculous, — says an IT specialist from a web providing company in Dushanbe. — It is extremely difficult – almost impossible – to trace online authors. Technically speaking, the authorities would need to encharge the local Internet providers to hunt down the sources, from which “aspersive postings” are coming to the web”.
According to the Asia Plus weekly, during the last three years, public officials and government bodies have initiated 8 criminal cases and 14 civil suits against journalists and editors. All these cases are related to the journalists’ professional activities and “facts of defamation” in their publications where they dared to criticize certain public servants.
The most recent is the case of Dodojon Atovullo, a 53-year old journalist, the founder of the first private newspaper in Tajikistan and the leader of the Vatandor (Patriot) opposition movement in exile. For many years, Atovullo has been living abroad – mainly in Russia and Germany. In October, he decided to move from Moscow to France apprehending revenge from the Tajik authorities, who called him “information terrorist” and promised to bring him to justice by any available means. In his newspaper “Charogi Rouz” (it mainly exists in online version), Atovullo unmasks corruption in Tajikistan. The authorities accuse the dissident – inter alia – of defamation of the President’s family and attempts to undermine the constitutional order in Tajikistan.
Media communities and human rights watchdogs say that the recent alterations in the legislation expand possibilities for persecution of journalists for “slander and insult”. Any publication containing criticism of the power can be seen as a deliberate offence. These limitations only strengthen self-censorship, which has become commonplace in the Tajik media. The New York-based NGO Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has invoked the Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon to set a veto on the introduction of these amendments in the legislation.
A similar concern was voiced recently by Miklosh Kharashti, the OSCE Representative for Freedom of Media in Vienna. He said that such concepts as “the Internet”, “information” and “dissemination” in the new Tajik legislation are very nebulous. “This might lead to wide interpretation and discretionary application of the new provisions for criminalization of discussions on socially important themes”, — said Kharashti. He called the Tajik authorities to canceling the recent amendments in the Criminal Code limiting the freedom of speech. He also spoke about the necessity of bringing Tajikistan’s legislation to conformity with the country’s membership commitments to OSCE.
The OSCE experts repeatedly criticized the Tajik system of registration of media outlets, and emphasized that artificial impediments and multi-staged process of registration impede the development of mass media in the country. Similar concerns about the freedom of expression in Tajikistan have been voiced by authoritative international NGOs, such as the Freedom House.
Nuriddin Karshibayev, Chair of Tajikistan’s National Association of Independent Media (NANSMIT) said that “the overall situation with freedom of expression in the country has not had essential positive changes over the last years, while artificial obstacles created by bureaucracy of relevant state agencies with regard to licensing and registration of new media entities interfere with development of new independent mass media”. Karshibayev says that the two major concerns among his colleagues are the lack of access to information and the licensing of broadcasting entities.
According to NANSMIT, more than a dozen of private TV and radio companies have been waiting for their licenses for years. In response to numerous complaints, the licensing commission under the State Committee on Television and Radio says that “applicants cannot properly fill in the application forms” or “unable to collect and present needed registration documents”. The NANSMIT Monitoring Service interviewed several managers of Tajikistan’s private TV and radio stations, who complained that the licensing commission servants impose ridiculous technical and logistical requirements, which are impossible to fulfill. Last year, the licensing officials carried out a raid at two private radio stations in Dushanbe, where they were checking even play lists, “recommending” to remove certain music (which they personally didn’t like) from the air.
Tajik media organizations repeatedly applied to the government and parliament with a proposal to discharge the licensing body since its very existence is not justified – over the last several years, the commission gave only two new licenses to small provincial broadcasting companies. Media professionals also suggested to replace the commission with a public council – similarly to what has been done in many of the CIS countries.
However, broadcasters keep fighting for their rights. In October, the Dushanbe Economic Court held a hearing on the statement of claim from the Somoniyon TV (the first private Tajik TV company founded in 1993) against the State TV and Radio Committee. All eleven members of the licensing commission were called to the court as codefendants.
Managers of TV Somoniyon stated that the ungrounded termination of its broadcasting license has led to a material loss in the amount of 88 thousand Somoni (about $26 thousand). The court proceedings are under way, and if the judges determine the guilt of the licensing body it will dilapidate itself.

According to the newly adopted amendments in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, “libel, offence or false information, as well as indecent words humiliating human dignity and disseminated not only via public speeches and media, but also through the Internet, are considered a crime in Tajikistan”. The law prescribes compulsory physical work (180-240 hours), or penalty in the amount from 500 to 1 thousand minimal monthly wages, or imprisonment up to two years.

Defamation is not considered a crime in the US legislation. Criminal responsibility for libel and offence is not prescribed in most of the EU States. Over the last several years, a number of post-Soviet countries – Estonia, the Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan have abolished criminal punishment for defamation. Legislation in these countries establishes only civil responsibility for dissemination of slanderous information.

Konstantin Parshin

Источник: NANSMIT

The TV channel Jahonnamo is the fourth state TV channel launched on the eve of Tajikistan’s Constitution Day. The new channel will be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Initially, the channel will be covering 60 percent of Tajikistan’s territory. It is planned for the future to switch Jahonnamo to the satellite broadcasting.

The Committee on TV and Radio Broadcasting under the government says that the new TV channel received equipment for the amount of $320 thousand.

Apart from Jahonnamo, three other TV channels operate in Tajikistan – Shabakai Yakoum (First Channel), TV Safina, and a children’s TV Bakhoriston.

The TV and Radio Broadcasting Committee also declared the opening of a new FM radio channel – Farkhang.

This is also the fourth state radio channel. The three others are: Tojikiston, Sadoi Dushanbe, and Ovozi Tojik.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Governments of Tajikistan and Japan signed an agreement on the improvement of broadcasting of the Tajik State TV Safina

The government of Japan provided Tajikistan with a grant in the amount of $360,9 thousand to promote cultural and educational activities in Tajikistan by means of broadcasting.

http://www.toptj.com/

The training program consisted of such topics as “improvement of computer skills”, “preparation of computer presentations”, “posting of articles on web sites” and “dissemination of press releases via e-mail”. Using the School’s technical facilities, participants studied various software and enhanced their Internet skills.

Prior to that, students attended master classes on the topics of “successful communication”, “interrelations between press secretaries and the media”, “presentational skills” and “the art of public relations”.

These master classes and training sessions are educational components of the project “Access to information: cooperation and transparence” conducted by the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – XXI Century” under support of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Prior to the appeal to the government, journalists attended a round table “Problems of public awareness in conditions of energy crisis and relevant response measures”. The discussion was organized by the Tajik Union of Journalists. Participants stressed the necessity of informing the population in any conditions for the purpose of the national security. Hey came to the conclusion that it is necessary to demand from the government the inclusion of the “Sharki Ozod” Media Complex in the list of strategic objects.

The appeal also says that the government and international organizations accredited in Tajikistan should support the opening of resource centers in other cities of Tajikistan – so that local media professionals would be able to keep the population informed about ongoing events.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

This monitoring presents a compilation of reports from Tajikistan’s media and private reports from the NANSMIT monitoring network in the country

Coordinator of the Monitoring Network in Tajikistan:
Abdufattokh Vokhidov
Head of the Legal Service:
Orifjon Azimov
Head of the Project in Tajikistan:
Nuriddin Karshibayev

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan
Situation in October 2008

In October 2008 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 27 reports. Twenty one of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; five reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and one report describes conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. PECULIARITIES OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY DEFINING THE FACTUAL SITUATION IN THE MEDIA

1. Public speeches and statements of superior officials defining the factual situation in the mass media

9 October
Media in Khatlon province

“The absence of modern printing facilities, the lack of periodicals, insufficient tools for communication, plagiarism in the media, impediments to journalists created by the authorities are the main reasons for poor development of the media and the freedom of speech in the south of Tajikistan”, — Ozodagon weekly, #40, 9.10.2008.

17 October
Turko Dikaev, Asia Plus news agency, Kulyab, Khatlon province

Correspondent of the Asia Plus news agency in Khatlon province Turko Dikaev failed to send important information from the city of Nurek.
The city with the population of 50 thousand has only one Internet center serviced by the Babylon mobile company. Residents complain that the Internet communication was absent for more than two weeks, and the Internet provider took no measures to restore the connection.

22 October
All media, Dushanbe

Tajikistan is rated 106 among 173 countries in the global Freedom of Press rating published by Reporters Without Borders. Tajikistan is neighboring to Uganda and Mauritania.
Among the countries of the former Soviet Union Tajikistan is close to the Baltic states and the Ukraine.

27 October
All media

Last week the former Kazakh capital Almaty hosted the 10-th Central Asia Conference “New challenges in the sphere of broadcasting, and transition to digital broadcasting”.

The Conference was organized under support of the OSCE regional office. It was attended by representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as by international experts.

According to the Tajik President’s Office, the Ministry of Justice has in its registry 28 TV organizations, 8 of which are state TV companies and 20 are non-government ones (private, commercial, corporative, etc.).

2. Actions of officials defining the factual status of the media

30 October
All media

The meeting of the Council of the CIS state and public TV organizations is scheduled for 31 October in Moscow.

Participants of the Council are planning to discuss the issues of creation of an Inter-State Information Pool, namely, the agreement, regulations and standards.

Members of the pool will provide information on important events and developments in their countries, which will be formed in packages for further transmission to other countries’ TV companies.

It is expected that the Inter-State TV Company Mir will play the role of coordinator in this pool.

3. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

5 October
Independent School of Journalism

From 3 to 5 October the Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – XXI Century” held the second training session for journalists and official public press secretaries.

According to Safo Safarov, executive director of the journalism school, participants of the training analyzed such topics as “Legal and ethical principles of interaction between the authorities and the media”, “National and international standards of access to information”, “New media technologies”, etc.

The training was organized within the framework of the project “Access to information: cooperation and transparency” supported by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

9 October

Somoniyon TV, Dushanbe

On 9 October the Economic Court in Dushanbe started hearings on the appeal from the Somoniyon TV against the State Committee on Television and Radio under the government.

TV Somoniyon submitted two applications: on compensation of a material loss in the amount of 88 thousand Somoni inflicted by the State Broadcasting Committee, and on the revocation of the resolution of the State licensing commission, which entailed the denial of broadcasting license to the TV company.

The court hearings were postponed until 14 October after public statements made by lawyers.

9 October
All media, Dushanbe

On 9-10 October the public organization “Khoma” held an international conference “Decriminalization of defamation is a major step towards democratic development of the society”. The conference was supported by the OSCE Center in Dushanbe and the US-based NGO Internews Network. More than 100 representatives of Tajik courts, the media, universities and human rights organizations took part in the conference.

Participants voiced the necessity of involving the civil society and the authorities in discussions of the legislation establishing criminal responsibility for publications containing “libel and defamation against government officials”. Certain legal provisions create obstacles for journalists, especially those “treading on forbidden ground”, i.e. criticizing high-ranked public servants.

II. VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Censorship

2 October
TV Safina, Dushanbe

Working on a project implemented jointly by the NGO Save the Children and TV Safina, journalist Farangis Nazrieva produced a TV story “When I was a child”. The 18-minute story shows and describes the being of children working in markets and other public places to make their living.

The video story had been shown to Mr. Pirov, director of TV Safina. Right before the scheduled broadcast he prohibited the story, saying that he is not in favor of showing negative phenomena in Tajikistan. The manager also referred to his “patriotic feelings”.

COMMENT

Article 30 of Tajikistan’s Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the right to use the mass media. Only propaganda of social, racial, ethnic, religious and language animosity is prohibited by law. State censorship and persecution for criticism are also prohibited. Thus, the actions of the TV Safina official can be interpreted as “internal censorship”, which is illegal.

2. Ungrounded denial of publicly important information

6 October
Radio Khatlon, Kurga-Tube

Mehrubon Sattorova, correspondent of Radio Khatlon required information from Tajiktelecom mobile company regarding the enterprise’s development plans. Fozil Mallaev, deputy director of the company’s branch in Khatlon province refused to share any information with the journalist referring to the prohibition from his senior managers.

16 October
Nargis Bozorova, Radio Khatlon

Nargis Bozorova, correspondent of Radio Khatlon approached Tolib Zubaidulloev, deputy chief physician of the city hospital in Kurgan-Tube. The doctor refused to share any information with the journalist without preliminary permission from the province health officials.

COMMENT

Freedom of speech and the right to use the mass media are guaranteed by Article 30 of the Constitution. There might be certain exceptions – if the data contains state security secrets. But it does not concern the cases described above.

Article 31 of the Tajik law “On printing and other mass media” enables journalists to seek and disseminate information by any legal means. Article 5 of the law in question obliges state, political and public organizations and their persons in charge to provide the media with any requested information.

3. Violation of labor rights

2 October
Farangis Nazrieva, freelance journalist, Dushanbe

Journalist Farangis Nazrieva accused director of TV Safina Makhmadsaid Pirov of non-paying her honorarium for an accomplished assignment. According to Nazrieva, in March 2008 TV Safina and the international NGO Save the Children signed an agreement in order to produce a series of TV programs about child labor in Tajikistan. One of the programs had been prepared by Nazrieva, but Pirov banned it from broadcasting.

According to the agreement, Save the Children had to wire the amount of six thousand Somoni to TV Safgina’s banking account. The TV crew was expected to receive 3,280 Somoni out of this amount, but nobody received the honoraria.

COMMENT

The case described above refers to violation of labor rights. Labor disputes are investigated in court according to the legislation. We recommend the journalist to apply to court for collecting her honorarium from the employer.

This report is based on compiled materials from the media and private information presented by correspondents of the NANSMIT Monitoring Network

Coordinator of the Monitoring Service
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Project Manager
Nuriddin Karshibayev