Editing room at Kyrgyz TV station, Kyrgyzstan. Photo: Oibek Khamidov/IMS

Ahead of national elections in Kyrgyzstan on 10 October, IMS launches new report about the media situation. "Media in Kyrgyzstan are under extreme pressure", reports Michael Andersen, who is currently in Osh for IMS

By Michael Andersen, journalist, Kyrgyzstan

Describing the media environment in Osh as difficult or weak would be a huge understatement. Over the past decade, many foreign media observers and trainers noted an almost total lack of independent media in Osh, a town with half a million inhabitants and often referred to as 'the capital of the South' in Kyrgyzstan.

Youth drop journalistic profession

For years, Osh has not had any real newspapers and local radio and TV-stations have only aired analytical and critical materials as part of foreign-sponsored projects. As a result, few young people in Osh could see the point in becoming journalists.

After the bloody events in June 2010, the last few independent journalists have left town and/or been driven to change professions out of fear for reprisals. Literally, Osh may today have no more than FIVE people left, who could be described as 'journalists'. This drainage of the profession means a huge loss for the region, and it is a devastating blow to many of the training and project activities carried out in Osh over the last decade by international media development organisations.

These days, inhabitants now get their 'news' exclusively from Kyrgyz state TV, which is perceived as being biased. At the same time, Kyrgyz nationalism is rapidly on the rise and the 'public space' is narrowing everywhere in Kyrgyzstan.

Information deficit ahead of election

Kyrgyzstan goes to the polls on 10 October – in what observers agree will be the most important elections in the country's history. But the 15 percent of the population who are ethnic Uzbek are completely absent from the national political process and debate.

In Osh itself – where maybe half the inhabitants are ethnic Uzbeks – the local mayor and police supported by radical elements in the Kyrgyz government, no longer under the control of the president, reportedly continue to randomly arrest, beat up, and often even torture and 'disappear' young Uzbeks, in their hundreds.

Several international organisations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Crisis Group have repeatedly criticized this behaviour, warning that it risks provoking more violence.

As a result of this combination of Kyrgyz nationalism, continued unlawful oppression of ethnic Uzbeks, and the lack of balanced information, the dire forecasts may well spell new outbreaks of ethnic violence. In Osh rumours about 'the other' ('they') gathering weapons and who is to be attacked next are a daily event, which fill the air through SMS, Internet blogs and from mouth to ear.

In Osh itself, nobody dares speak out against the harassment and instigation. And no media question this policy.

IMS media assessment: A window of opportunity for media

Here lies the key to more unrest as lack of information only aides the aggressive nationalists, fear and radicals on both sides.

Therefore, it is vital to train a new generation of journalists before they and their peers will be attracted to nationalism and radicalism. Providing balanced and critical information is the only way to improve the situation.

Following the demonstrations in April this year, which led to the fall of President Bakhiyev, IMS went to Kyrgyzstan in order to assess the media situation under the winds of political change. Though challenges lie ahead, the report highlights that the new situation might offer a unique window of opportunity to improve the media scene in Kyrgyzstan.

Click here to read the full report about media in Kyrgyzstan.