INFORMATIONAL
FAMINE OR PRESS FEVER IN NORTHERN TAJIKISTAN
For the last two-three years my colleagues and I had
often to revert the readers’ attention to the existence
of informational vacuum in Sughd viloyat and the expansion
of the informational space of Northern Tajikistan by foreign
mass media. Though the local authorities being well aware
of the essence and importance of the problem started an
effectuation of “Mavchi Somon” complex program which elevated
significantly the level of population’s informativity, still
we don’t manage to gain advantage over foreign MM for the
time being. As before, foreign MM domineer in a number of
bordering areas in Sughd viloyat. In Istaravshan, Zafarobod,
Nov, Mastchoh, Asht, Konibodom, Isfara population gives
preference to broad and telecasts of neighborly states widely
transmitted here. It goes without saying that one can’t
forbid to see and listen to them - it’s no way out. But
the question arises: must we oppose to them anything ours?
To say the truth, we have local teleradionetworks. But what
is their numerosity? Sometimes per four-five TV and radio
channels of neighboring states transmit to our small-populated
units. But every state has the so-called ideology of its
own. The analysis of the situation shows that our primal
pain is non-availability of money for a good logistic base,
which would be developing mass media. It is just this factor,
which accounts for our both electronic and printed MM lagging.
State and Formation of Informational Society
A sweeping development of informational industry,
its influence upon employment, education culture, social relations
and values makes it necessary to formulate the role of state
in the formation of an informational society. It implies that
a state may assume the role of a catalyst of the changes taking
place, a coordinator of actions performed by different subjects
of society, frame such a juridical and normative base which
would steer them along the channel being favorable for development
of society and an individual.
This is a much larger-scale goal than a formulation of state
informational policy and that one of informatization. The
first one is treated usually as the policy of interrelations
between the state and MM; the second one is looked upon as
a complex of measures aimed at the usage of informatization
means in state institutions and national economy. Interrelations
between a state and MM are a painful question in all the countries
but it is regulated by the law on MM and the right for word
freedom. The usage of new technologies doesn’t add anything
new to this problem. In our country the policy of informatization
was understood widely enough at first - it was considered
as the actions on the part of the state aimed at informatization
of the whole society. State informational policy should be
regarded as a regulating activity of state organs aimed at
the development of the informational sphere of society which
comprises not only mass media, but telecommunications, informative
systems and resources, all the aggregate of productions and
relations connected with creation, preservation, elaboration,
demonstration, delivery of information in all its kinds -
social-political, economic, entertaining, scientific-educational,
business-dealt and etc.
In the opinion of I. S. Melykhin, one of the founders of informational
society conception, a present a much wider and fundamental
goal should be pursued - to define the role of state in the
formation of informational society and not only its functions
in reference to MM. It is a goal of a much higher level. The
analysis of foreign practice in regulation of informational
sphere of society permits to single out a number of streamlines
in regard to state organs; here refer:
- stimulation of competition: combat with monopoly, control
over property concentration of issues related with confluence
of big companies in the domain of telecommunication or media
business, adoption of solutions on disintegration of monopolists
on the part of antimonopoly bodies;
- legal and technologic insurance of the right and technical
availabilities for information and its resources for the entire
population;
- realization of the concept of universal access for permanently
extending informational and telecommunication services (telephone,
e-mail, multimedia education) provided for citizens on the
part of the state;
- observance of word freedom irrespective of technology concerned
with dissemination of information;
- advocacy of the interests of national minorities, growing
generation in informational sphere, especially in the realm
of morality;
- reinforcement of national culture, language; opposition
to cultural expansion of other countries, realization of projects
on presentation of humanitarian and scientific legacy being
converted into the form of arithmetic figures;
- reorientation of the system of education with taking into
account the requirement of informational society, inculcation
of distant education;
- wide employment of telemedicine for rendering services to
the population of remote areas;
- ensurance of informational security of society and an individual,
combat with computer and high technology crimes inclusive;
- guard of intellectual property;
- control over effective utilization of informational and
telecommunication technologies in state institutions.
In future all the ideas mentioned above may serve for state
votaries and MM employees of Tajikistan Republic as a program
of actions the realization of which will ensure the protection
of informational space and informational vacuum filling in
the republic. Word freedom and publicity whose development
depends on the level of information availability are the basic
principles the elevation of society’s informativity rests
on.
MM as Primary Indicator of Population’s
Informativity
To be just one can’t help mentioning the fact
that the Republic of Tajikistan is doing its first concrete
steps in the cause of elevating population’s informativity
level. Creation of juridical base, formation of independent
MM prove an adherence of legislative and executive powers
towards a civic society bound to be framed in the country.
RT laws “On Press and other MM” (though needing considerable
perfection and alteration), “On Television and Broadcasting”,
“On Informatization”, “On Information: and “On Advertising”
evidence to no bad juridical base for MM development in the
country. The society being under the pressure of undeclared
state censorship and self-censorship on the part of journalists
themselves almost for decades is gradually liberating from
the obtruded stereotype, it begins to advocate and vindicate
its rights. At the same time state bodies being subject to
the influence of reforms taking place in the country are becoming
more open, democratic. It resulted into the whole group of
independent mass media, both electronic and printed, which
leapt into existence for the last two-three years; some of
them having forwarded into progressive and popular ones. They
not only found a circle of readers and listeners of their
own, but they turned into the vehicles of new ideas expressing
the opinion of different layers of population, objectifying
the principles of responsive rapidity, objectivity, impartiality.
Hence their role in the elevation of population’s informativity
and removal of tension in the informational space. Expounding
these ideas I mean, first of all, “Tiroz” broadcasting, “Varorud”
informational -analytical agency and - let it not seem immodest
for readers - “Varorud” newspaper bearing the same title,
it enjoys great popularity both in the capital and beyond
Tajikistan boundaries. A great contribution into the informational
protection of Northern Tajikistan is made by “Tiroz” radio
in spite of its vividly expressed musical-entertaining orientation.
With the informational part of signals and perfection of the
informational part of programs this radio may claim for greater
popularity than the one it enjoys now. In spite of starting
developments of Sughd press achieved, first of all, due to
independent MM the problem of information availability remains
the principal one as before. It is just that factor which
impedes MM evolution preventing its competition with foreign
MM through the problem of cadres is of no less importance
remaining to be acute.
The trouble is an official is uneager to commit information.
He promotes the situation when population has to stick to
rumors engendered by false interpretation of events. It concerns
those ones occurring inside the country. Obtaining of the
information related with abroad is beset with great difficulties,
as well as there is no wide network of correspondents in foreign
countries. Therefore, public at large gets its bearings leaning
either on the only state source of information as president’s
service is or on foreign origins which treat the events pertaining
to Tajikistan in the way they lie at the bottom of their positioned
totem-pole. Meanwhile, the laws of the country oblige an official
to provide information for press, radio and television. Unfortunately,
state organs don’t care much about objective information being
brought timely to the notice of society. The reason seems
to lie in the absence of a precedent when a state official
would perceive the force of the law obliging him to answer
the questions put by press. Articles 4 and 8 of RT law “On
Information” run:
The basic principles of informational relations are:
-to guarantee the right for information;
- openness, availability of information and freedom of exchange
with it;
- objectivity, authenticity of information;
- completeness, opportuneness and precision of information;
- legality of obtaining, usage, dissemination and keeping
of information.
The subjects of informational relations have a right for information,
envisaging a possibility of its free obtaining, usage and
keeping if it is needed for realization of rights, freedoms
and legal interests, effectuation of its goals and functions.
Realization of the right for information by the subject of
informational relations should not infringe on social, political,
economic, spiritual, ecologic and other rights, freedoms and
legal interests of other citizens, rights and interest of
bodies incorporate, not bring harm to the interests Tajikistan
Republic; at the same time every citizen is provided with
free access to information concerned with him/her personally
except the cases stipulated by the laws of the Republic of
Tajikistan. State officials sometimes forget that the observance
of the Constitution and the functioning legislation of the
republic is a duty of every citizen of Tajikistan.
Our emphasis on information availability is not occasional
we, journalists sometimes find ourselves in the position of
suppliants perceiving our disparagement. Any attempt of bringing
a controversial issue into the channel of lawfulness is doomed
to failure as an injunction of information concealing is traced
back to a superior instance, which cares of its own authoritativeness
and prestige. In the opinion of Negmatullo Mirsaidov, “Varorud”
IAA editor-in-chief, the actions of state officials are sometimes
absurd to such an extent that they are unable to differentiate
between state interests and those of their own. N. Mirsaidov
told about his difficult and tormenting endeavors when he
wished to get information in Sughd viloyat Hukumat.
“I send, - N. Mirsaidov says, - a correspondent to the Hukumat
with a series of questions any specialist dealing with economy
in viloyat range is to be prompt to answer. They don’t refuse
to give information. But all the time they try to disappear
putting it down to their being busy just at the present moment.
We take it with positive understanding and ask to appoint
the time. A month may pass but they would be resorting to
subterfuges. It becomes obviously clear that state officials
are afraid of pronouncing something which is implied to be
prohibitive, they are uneager to let the cat out of the bag
in the sense they understand it. They are apprehensive of
their leadership’s reactions. There is only one inference
arising from it - regretfully, our state officials have been
far from reforms up to now. They can’t avail of delivering
themselves of their own opinion. They can’t risk those material
benefits the work in state frameworks ensures for them. It
is hardly imaginable that somebody would be venturesome enough
in this respect. A state official doesn’t care of common interests.
At any rates he cares about them to a much less degree than
of those of his own. In a word, he is guided with the principle
of A. Chekhov’s character “One must near in mind that nothing
bad should turn out of it”. This is just that same subtlety
of the Orient the well-known proverb warns us about.
Alongside with the extension of the networks of independent
MM being an irrevertible process with taking into consideration
the intensification of democracy in the country we should
mention Internet - the most progressive and perspective mass
medium stimulated vigorously for evolution. Yet yesterday
you might use your fingers to count the number of Tajik sites
in Internet. Now it has approached the figure of half hundred
but they don’t mean a lot in the world informational space.
And still one thing is beyond doubts - Internet has been intensively
entering people’s life being a form of information transmission.
Under this angle it is interesting to watch “Varorud” independent
site rating, existing less that a year it is included into
the trio of leaders among Tajik sites. It testifies to the
fact that Internet users strive to find the most objective
and fresh information namely on that site.
The Tajik press, Sughdian one inclusive, has been sustaining
anew a period of formation. Of course the development of press,
radio, television is impossible without being supported by
international organizations. Both the law and finances are
implied here. The time shows that state monopoly of press
gives nothing good to society being the basic impediment for
realization of reforms in the country. However paradoxical
it may seem, but it is the independent press that is the most
helpful assistant of the president and the government in Tajikistan
in building up a civic society, insomuch as it criticizes
severely the drawbacks of national economy compelling the
authorities to take resolute measures on their eradication.
It is the independent press treated, unfortunately, with certain
prejudice and mistrust on the part of powerful frameworks
that acts as an active champion for democracy, triumph of
law and justice in the country. If state power bodies changed
their attitude to press as a sequence of the established stereotype
they might achieve a lot in the economic and political system
of Tajikistan; but, it stands to reason, they must take to
heart the urgency of transformations in the country bound
to be accelerated.
