Bribery and Extortion in Kyrgyz Journalism or Simply Profitable Profession?

Abstract

This paper highlights the difficulties confronting journalists in Kyrgyzstan, who face a number of problems, including poor rates of pay, little or no ethical training, and a situation in which they, and the media organizations they work for, are prepared to receive payment for covering or declining to cover a story. The result: envelopes containing cash are seen as an acceptable way of supplementing journalistic incomes. The study involves in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 journalists in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, from 4 to 23 January 2016. The author concludes that while it would be almost impossible to remove the practices identified above, universities could play an important role in helping new generations of reporters overcome such temptations by including more ethics in the journalism curriculum.