The century of complicated technologies is permeated with information, which became an inseparable part of our life. Today no small money can be paid for timely and precise information. It is not occasional when they say: "That one who possesses information does possess the world". That's why the activity of informational agencies evokes today certain interest of experts in media community. For our republic where in the course of long time "Asia-Plus" IA had been a monopolist in this branch a new informational agency, which leapt into existence played the role of a symbolic event, which determined a new stage in the informative policy. The appearance of "competitors" should be a kind of a catalyst in the process of heightening the quality of information delivery, its rapidity and authenticity where the reader is an arbiter. We began our conversation with Ilhom Jamolov, director of "Varorud" informational-analytical agency, dwelling on these very problems; just now, on the eve of the New Year "Varorud" marks its second anniversary.
It has been two years already that "Varorud" informational-analytical agency appeared in the media-space of Tojikiston; its goal being filling informational vacuum, which existed then. Of course, the situation has considerably improved now. But when the informational agency sprang up it was quite up-t0-date as the time itself required such frameworks which would provide the population with information. The first matter of the informational agency - an issue of a tape of news in Russian and Tajik - was assigned, first of all, for mass media both inside the viloyat and beyond its boundaries. But insomuch as informational agencies in Tojikiston started appearing quite recently, normal ties between MM and IAs haven't been regulated yet. After "Asia-Plus" being the first there come "Mizon" and "Interpresservice" which fell out of media-space afterwards. Therefore, when our agency was launched many people were glad of it. Of course, when the agency has correspondents of its own in viloyat towns providing mass media with the news from these areas it is profitable for MM. Some of the latters use our information, some don't. Now we enjoy quite different categories of readers and subscribers - these mentioning that we published an informational-analytical bulletin too. It is one more important part of our work. For the last years journalism has practically lost the genre of analytics. So, this bulletin promoted the development of this genre by dint of journalists' participation in consideration of various issues being actual for society. Practice and questionnaires conducted showed that the bulletin had been very popular with our readers. But as it was published in a very limited amount and was available for few people only we started to seek for the ways of comprising a wider circle of readers. So we got down to the elaboration of the edition of a newspaper of our own.
-You imply a newspaper served as a logical continuation of the informational-analytical bulletin?
- It is just that. In 2002 we started to publish the new social-political newspaper "Varorud" on the base of the informational-analytical bulletin; it's being the edition of our agency. It is one year old already. Of course, we faced some difficulties at first. But for the last time the agency is supported, the newspaper inclusive. Frankly speaking, under the present conditions we can hardly imagine to have held our grounds without being supported. As you see, the newspaper is issued and it seems to m it is popular enough. For today its circulation constitutes 1500 copies. For the time being it is the only independent newspaper in the viloyat published in Russian. Since November we began to spread the newspaper not only over the viloyat, but over the territory of the republic as well. Certain quanta of copies penetrate into the areas of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan being our neighbors. This is nor sufficient yet, of course. As "Varorud" newspaper elucidates not only the life of our viloyat and the republic upon the whole, but also the life of the states located in the Ferghana Valley we would life our newspaper to be read beyond the boundaries of Tojikiston, in particular, in southern Kyrgyzstan and the Uzbek part of the Ferghana Valley.
- Why did you take the phrase "New Creative Paper" as a slogan?
- At the end of the 80-ies - at the beginning of the 90-ies an informational boom started in Tojikiston being accompanied with the rise of new papers. But in the period when the civil war was in full swing they played not a very positive role. Subsequently, they were accused of enflaming political and social contradictions. Thereupon, new MM were looked on with apprehension by many people, authorities and society inclusive. "And what will be? Wouldn't they repeat the same mistakes their colleagues did?" that is just why our slogan sounds as "a creative newspaper". We aspire to creation through pluralism and mutual understanding. Sometimes we are rebuked for publishing critical materials. But creativity doesn't mean that we should close our eyes on seeing negative phenomena of our life. For us it is not simply a slogan but our vital credo. And we really want our newspaper to become creative, a kind of a bridge on which polar opinions "confront".
- What do You consider to have been the principal achievements of the agency in the leaving year?
- First of all, it refers to our having had own correspondents who started to work in other regions of Tojikiston, Dushanbe, Khatlon and Mountainous Badakhshon viloyats inclusive. Moreover, we have our own correspondent in southern Kyrgyzstan. For the time being not many Tajik MM have correspondents of their own in remote regions. It has been on principal achievement. One more thing of importance - we conducted an extended training in order to teach our workers; high-class experts being involved hereby. Our trainer was Mikhail Ivanov, editor of the newspaper "Vercherny Peterburg" ("Evening Petersburg"). It seems to me that the training was a success, alteration of a design and a quality of material delivery prove it. We intend to proceed with this work because the editions of the agency are read not only in the viloyat but beyond the boundaries of the republic as well. And it requires a correspondence to international norms and standards of journalism - certain rules we must be knowledgeable for and stick to.
- Herald and newspaper have already gained certain authority with the reader, but we know you have an object of special pride.
You are right. The primal news of this year is a launching of an official site of "Varorud" agency in Internet. There are not so many sites in Tojikiston and in Sughd viloyat this is the first genuine informational site renovated thrice a week concurrently with the tape of news issued. Here we place the news of the Ferghana Valley, articles, interviews, different analytical materials, blitz-questionnaires and a lot of other things. And judging by the first evaluations of site visitors it is to many people liking. The only problem lies in slow loading. It is a technical task bound to be settled the next year. The rise of "Varorud" informational site in Internet is an inception of the new epoch of journalism in Northern Tojikiston. For the last time there sprang up a new kind of journalism nominated web-journalism being called sometimes on line - journalism as it affords to reflect the events occured practically in real time through Internet. It permits the reader to follow chronicle changes of events. It's pleasing that here "Varorud" turned out to be the first too.
- We spoke about the past and the present. And what anticipates the agency next year?
- We have no concrete plans for the future, but priority goals are set. In particular, we want to intensify the work of our informational service. The readers know that since December we come out thrice a week in Russian and English. Since the new year we plan also to issue a Tajik version of the informational herald. It will be a weekly review of events. We hope for objective, impartial work of our journalists on the spots, as "Varorud" image depends on it greatly. We have earned it and we must maintain it as we are trusted. A visage and a volume of the newspaper won't be changed radically. For the time being we are going to work in the same streamline. Most likely, the circulation of the newspaper will be multiplied next year, the material published will be also variegated; the work of the agency and the newspaper influence a success of the site. When the site was placed in the Internet for the first time it occupied number 97. During months and a half our electronic edition is the first half score in the rating of Tojikiston sites. It testifies to high attendance of the site, people display interest towards us. The site also contains the materials about the geographical location of our viloyat, socio-economic life and investitive climate which were prepared by many competent experts drawn into this drive; the readers being attracted by it.
-Though the informational Agency has been two years old already many readers ask the question - what does the word "Varorud" mean?
- "Varorud" has its synonym in the Tajik language - it is the word "Movarounnahr". But "Movarounnahr" is an Arabic word. In the middle of the 90-ies a group of scientists began to actively use the term "Varorud" translated into Russian it means "the land behind the river". Of course, one may ask - what kind of river? It is the space between the two rivers, which were great in the ancient times - the Syr -Darya and the Amu-Darya. That same vast territory which included the lands of Tojikiston, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan was called "Varorud". Therefore we wanted to regenerate this word. It's good that today this Tajik word sound not only in Russian, but in English as well, and it is understood. Today the informational agency elucidating the life of the Ferghana Valley - historic and cultural territory of the three people is associated with the word "Varorud". And this is good too. Of course, at first it was difficult to understand this word, many people even learned to pronounce it. But as you see, this word entered our speech having taken roots in it.
- Ilhom Mazbutovich, the readers are waiting for the traditional New Year congratulation.
- Let our readers not offend, but first of all I would like to congratulate the collective of our Agency, alongside with highly experienced professionals there work a team of young promising journalists. As for the first ones - I wish them not to stop on the way to perfection. As for me the second ones they may esteeming authorities battle out their own opinion. As for our friends- readers I wish them peace in their homes, wealth and simple human happiness. "Varorud" is with you in the New Year as well!