Tajikistan Media Sustainability Index (MSI)
April 7, 2013
About the MSI
IREX designed the MSI to measure the strength and viability of any country’s media sector. The MSI considers all the factors that contribute to a media system—the quality of journalism, effectiveness of management, the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, and more—to arrive at scores on a scale ranging between 0 and 4. These scores represent the strength of the media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress (or regression) within a country. Additionally, countries or regions may be compared to one another. IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and IREX currently conducts the MSI in 80 countries, and produced the first Europe & Eurasia MSI in 2001.
MSI Overview | Africa | Asia | Europe & Eurasia | Middle East & North Africa
Download the Complete Tajikistan MSI Chapter (PDF): 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2006/7 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001
MSI Tajikistan - 2013 Introduction
Overall Country Score: 1.67
Conflicting trends pulled independent media in opposite directions throughout 2012, resulting in mixed scoring results largely similar to recent years. Self-censorship increased somewhat, but the panel noted increased attempts at professional and socially responsible reporting. Licensing, education, and taxation remained huge barriers, but professional associations have begun to consolidate their influence and become more effective. Technical limitations and electricity shortages remain a barrier to rural media development. Finally, a burst of online expression through blogs, social networks, and online news sites has opened opportunities for the estimated 25 percent of Tajiks who are Internet users, which in turn invited new efforts at state control of speech online.
Politics were volatile again. Military clashes in Khorog, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, ostensibly sparked by the murder of a high-ranking intelligence officer, occurred in July, leaving dozens of casualties. The operation was accompanied by protests and attempts to control press coverage. Communication and travel bans were not lifted for a month, until a ceasefire and the capture of several leaders led to the withdrawal of government troops to their permanent posts closer to the capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin came to terms with his Tajik counterpart, longtime strongman Emmomali Rahmon, on a 49-year extension of the lease for a Russian military base, in exchange for promises of extensive arms supplies. The agreement triggered a heated discussion in society and online. Tajikistan also won a commitment from Russia to allow Tajik citizens to stay in Russia without registration for 45 days, up from 15. Remissions from Tajik labor migrants are about half of Tajikistan’s GDP, the highest ratio in the world. Tajikistan acceded to the World Trade Organization on December 10, after a process that took 11 years.
Tajikistan continued to face pressure from Uzbekistan over water and environmental issues, and from alleged Islamist extremists. The government responded to the latter by increasing pressure and control over religious institutions and leaders.
The panelists stressed the need to restart recently finished projects funded by USAID and the OSCE, and to continue USAID-funded training for journalists, with an emphasis on specialization and coaching multimedia journalists. While opportunities to increase openness through new media are great, the panel also dubbed 2012 the “Year of Pressure on the Internet,” as the government attempted to counter the rapid growth in opposition activity online.
