DUSHANBE, December 24 2008, Asia-Plus  -- A roundtable meeting on “Economic Independence – Main Factor of Freedom of Press” was held in Dushanbe on December 23.

Organized by the Dushanbe social-political weekly Jomea (Society) and Tajik Journalists’ Union (TJU), the meeting brought together representatives of media and experts to discuss issues related to professionalism of reporters and economic difficulties facing Tajik print media.

Speaking at the meeting, Mirsaid Sultonov, a lecturer with the Department of Journalism of the Faculty of Philology at Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU), noted that some 95 percent of Tajik newspapers are not independent from the economic point of view.  Among economically rational and self-sufficient newspapers he named Asia-Plus , Digest-Press and Reklamnaya Gazeta (Advertising Newspaper), noting that all successful newspapers in the country are the Russian-language ones.

According to him, the Russian-language show more professionalism than the Tajik-language ones and take attracting advertising materials more seriously.

The TJU head Akbarali Sattorov stressed that a general Tajik print media situation is serious.

“In Tajikistan, newspapers survive mainly by sales, which is uncommon in the modern world,” said Sattorov.  “I would name this selflessness of our pressmen.”  He further added that the majority of Tajik newspapers function under conditions when any inconsiderable problem may cause to closure of unprofitable newspapers.