2008 Woodie Awards
Uzbeki journalists visit UTC
Abby McMahon
Issue date: 10/14/04 Section: Culture
- Page 1 of 1
Four journalists from Uzbekistan are visiting Chattanooga and UTC this week as part of the Open World Program.
The journalists have been visiting local television, radio and newspapers and will tour CNN in Atlanta Friday.
Although official censorship of journalists ended in May, all four said there are still significant efforts to stifle the media and any criticism of the government. And although the print media has more independence, television stations are owned by the government. All programming is taped, censored and edited before it is aired.
The central Asian nation will have its first public elections in December and the group has been studying how U.S. journalists cover elections and government.
In addition to meeting with local reporters, editors and television news directors, the group also has visited Communication Department classes and met with faculty.
Their visit is co-sponsored by the Communication Department and the Sister Cities Association of Chattanooga.
Viktor Krymzalov is a special reporter with a private newspaper.
Echo: What human rights issues in your home country do you find the most important, and how are they different from what you have seen in the U.S.?
Krymzalov: I think the main issue now in Uzbekistan is to try to use the best experiences and freedoms in the U.S. and try to follow the same freedoms in Uzbekistan. For instance, on the city level, we'd like to see city council do as good a job as your city council does. For journalists, it would be good to create something similar like you have here, like an ssociation of journalists.
Zhumanazar Melikulov is deputy editor-in-chief of a political party newspaper.
Echo: How is your job affected by governement control?
Melikulov: Since the censorship was lifted, there is no direct control of government, but we still have some kind of control from chief editors and board of directors.
Nazhibiddin Nosirov is a television reporter for Uzbekistan television and radio.
Echo: How much freedom do you have in your program to look at government and political issues objectively?
Nosirov: We have this opportunity and we can freely discuss the laws being adopted by the parliament and also how these laws are used on local levels, how they are implemented by the courts. Of course we have some instances where an individual journalist would not be objective--they might be corrupt--and the chief editor would intervene.
Abdikayum Yuldashev is the editor of a magazine targeted for young people.
Echo: What have you learned about American journalism that you will take back with you to Uzbekistan?
Yuldashev: I will take so much with me. it's difficult to say in a short answer. The most important thing I will take back is that journalists should serve their people and the development of democracy. This is the number one reason I chose this profession.
The journalists have been visiting local television, radio and newspapers and will tour CNN in Atlanta Friday.
Although official censorship of journalists ended in May, all four said there are still significant efforts to stifle the media and any criticism of the government. And although the print media has more independence, television stations are owned by the government. All programming is taped, censored and edited before it is aired.
The central Asian nation will have its first public elections in December and the group has been studying how U.S. journalists cover elections and government.
In addition to meeting with local reporters, editors and television news directors, the group also has visited Communication Department classes and met with faculty.
Their visit is co-sponsored by the Communication Department and the Sister Cities Association of Chattanooga.
Viktor Krymzalov is a special reporter with a private newspaper.
Echo: What human rights issues in your home country do you find the most important, and how are they different from what you have seen in the U.S.?
Krymzalov: I think the main issue now in Uzbekistan is to try to use the best experiences and freedoms in the U.S. and try to follow the same freedoms in Uzbekistan. For instance, on the city level, we'd like to see city council do as good a job as your city council does. For journalists, it would be good to create something similar like you have here, like an ssociation of journalists.
Zhumanazar Melikulov is deputy editor-in-chief of a political party newspaper.
Echo: How is your job affected by governement control?
Melikulov: Since the censorship was lifted, there is no direct control of government, but we still have some kind of control from chief editors and board of directors.
Nazhibiddin Nosirov is a television reporter for Uzbekistan television and radio.
Echo: How much freedom do you have in your program to look at government and political issues objectively?
Nosirov: We have this opportunity and we can freely discuss the laws being adopted by the parliament and also how these laws are used on local levels, how they are implemented by the courts. Of course we have some instances where an individual journalist would not be objective--they might be corrupt--and the chief editor would intervene.
Abdikayum Yuldashev is the editor of a magazine targeted for young people.
Echo: What have you learned about American journalism that you will take back with you to Uzbekistan?
Yuldashev: I will take so much with me. it's difficult to say in a short answer. The most important thing I will take back is that journalists should serve their people and the development of democracy. This is the number one reason I chose this profession.
