DUSHANBE, November 25, Asia-Plus  -- Main problems facing local media and impeding further development of them are absence of daily press, low availability of their products outside Dushanbe, low level of professionalism of Tajik journalists and improper payment of journalists’ labor, Tajik political scientist Rashid Abdullo remarked at a roundtable meeting in Dushanbe on November 23.  

The roundtable meeting, staged by the Dushanbe Office of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) and formally titled “Responsibility and Development in Central Asia’s Regional Journalism,” brought together leading journalists and experts from the Central Asian countries to discuss issues such as behavior of journalists in critical situations, ethical code for journalists of Tajikistan and so forth.  

Dwelling on stages of development of Tajik media and its state during the civil war in the 1990s, Rashid Abdullo noted that the civil conflict period had been the time of split among Tajik journalists.   

The Tajik expert also outlined the new stage of development of Tajik journalism in 2005, which was characterized by variety and unsteadiness of media groups in the country that time.  According to him, the most interesting and sustainable among them are Asia-Plus, Varoroud, Avesta, etc.  

Kyrgyzstan’s Media Institute director Ilim Karypbekov speaking at the meeting analyzed consequences of murder of Kyrgyz journalist Alisher Saipov, which had affected Kyrgyz media, as well as raised the issue of lack of security and protection of journalists on the part of law as well as pressure made by special services on media.  

Expert from Kazakhstan Eduard Poletayev touched upon the issue of providing security of journalists in Central Asia and noted that in the region, only tolerance of journalists to society and authorities could save them, and Central Asian journalists depend on attitude of society.  

The meeting participants also discussed issues related to solidarity and patriotism, behavior of journalists in critical situations, ethical code for journalists.  

Thus, Kazakh journalist Daur Dosybiyev noted that journalists should not incite ethnic conflicts of patriotic accord but should act for sake of their people and peace. 

For his part, Nouriddin Qarshiboyev, the head of the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (Nansmit), pointed to the necessity of establishing regional cooperation between Central Asian journalists and noted that lack of financing and well-tailored mechanism of work of journalists was impeding establishment of such cooperation.