After the Czars and Commissars: Journalism in Authoritarian Post-Soviet Central Asia

Theoretical Foundations for Researching the Roles of the Press in Today’s Central Asia

Eurasian Political Economy and Public Policy Studies Series EDITORIAL BOARD Norman A. Graham, Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Michigan State University, Series Editor Mohammed Ayoob, Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University Kathleen Dowley, Department of Political Science, State University of New York, New Paltz Sherman W. Garnett, James Madison College, Michigan State University Ayse Gunes-Ayata, Center for Black Sea and Central Asia, Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey) Axel Hadenius, Uppsala University (Sweden) Erik S. Herron, Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, University of Kansas Marius Jucan, Faculty of European Studies, Babes-Bolyai University (Cluj, Romania) Timur Kocaoglu, Center for Strategic Studies, Koç University (Istanbul, Turkey) Ivan Kurilla, International Relations Department, Volgograd State University (Russia) Andras Lanczi, Corvinus University (Budapest, Hungary) Folke Lindahl, James Madison College, Michigan State University, Associate Series Editor Linda Racioppi, Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University Uli Schamiloglu, Department of Languages and Cultures of Asia, University of Wisconsin Şuhnaz Yılmaz, Department of International Relations, Koç University (Istanbul, Turkey) Russell Zanca, Department of Anthropology, Northeastern Illinois University Aer the Czars and Commissars Journalism in Authoritarian Post-Soviet Central Asia Edited by Eric Freedman and Richard Shafer Michigan State University Press • East Lansing Copyright © 2011 by Michigan State University i The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper). H Michigan State University Press East Lansing, Michigan 48823-5245 www.msupress.msu.edu Printed and bound in the United States of America. 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Aer the czars and commissars : journalism in authoritarian post-Soviet Central Asia / edited by Eric Freedman and Richard Shafer. p. cm.—(Eurasian political economy and public policy studies series) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-61186-005-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Journalism—Asia, Central. 2. Journalism— Political aspects—Asia, Central. 3. Press and politics—Asia, Central. 4. Government and the press—Asia, Central. 5. Freedom of the press—Asia, Central. 6. Mass media—Censorship— Asia, Central. 7. Online journalism—Asia, Central. 8. Cyberspace—Government policy—Asia, Central. 9. Reporters and reporting—Asia, Central. 10. Post-communism—Asia, Central. I. Freedman, Eric. II. Shafer, Richard. PN5449.C6A38 2011 079'.58—dc22 2010052157 cover art: Passers-by peruse newspapers on display in a park in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Photograph by Eric Freedman. Cover design by Erin Kirk New Book design by Charlie Sharp, Sharp Des!gns, Lansing, Michigan G Michigan State University Press is a member of the Green Press Initiative and is committed to developing and encouraging ecologically responsible publishing practices. For more information about the Green Press Initiative and the use of recycled paper in book publishing, please visit www.greenpressinitiative.com. Visit Michigan State University Press on the World Wide Web at www.msupress.msu.edu. To our wives, Mary Ann and Jill, who have explored Central Asia with us, and to the committed journalists, journalism students, press rights defenders, and journalism educators who struggle to establish free and effective press systems in their young Central Asian nations. Contents 1 Theoretical Foundations for Researching the Roles of the Press in Today’s Central Asia | Eric Freedman PART 1 UNDER THE COMMISSARS 19 Soviet Foundations of the Post-Independence Press in Central Asia| Richard Shafer PART 2 NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES 35 Oligarchs and Ownership: The Role of Financial-Industrial Groups in Controlling Kazakhstan’s “Independent” Media | Barbara Junisbai 59 Reinforcing Authoritarianism through Media Control: The Case of Post-Soviet Turkmenistan | Luca Anceschi 79 Hizb ut-Tahrir in Kyrgyzstan as Presented in Vecherniy Bishkek: A Radical Islamist Organization through the Eyes of Kyrgyz Journalists | Irina Wolf 99 The Future of Internet Media in Uzbekistan: Transformation from State Censorship to Monitoring of Information Space since Independence| Zhanna Hördegen 123 Journalistic Self-Censorship and the Tajik Press in the Context of Central Asia | Peter Gross and Timothy Kenny PART 3 TRANSREGIONAL PERSPECTIVES 143 Loyalty in the New Authoritarian Model: Journalistic Rights and Duties in Central Asian Media Law | Olivia Allison 161 Ethnic Minorities and the Media in Central Asia| Olivier Ferrando 185 Journalists at Risk: The Human Impact of Press Constraints| Eric Freedman 199 International Broadcasting to Uzbekistan: Does It Still Matter?| Navbahor Imamova PART 4 JOURNALISM EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONALISM 217 Journalism Education and Professional Training in Kazakhstan: From the Soviet Era to Independence | Maureen J. Nemecek, Stan Ketterer, Galiya Ibrayeva, and Stanislav...