In 2019, Reporters Without Borders' Press Freedom Index ranked Kyrgyzstan at position 83, the highest ranking of all Central Asian countries. This indicates, at least within the regional context, that freedom of the press plays a significant role in Kyrgyzstan. However, certain aspects remain hands-off, including the legal protection for journalists.
Our activities
DW Akademie is working with 25 Kyrgyz community media outlets, strengthening their financial sustainability and helping journalists produce balanced reports tailored for specific target groups. People in rural areas often have little access to information. Community reporters receive training, enabling them to provide their communities with reliable information reflecting their interests and needs.
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Challenges and best practices: Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kyrgyzstan
The 3rd Central Asian Conference on Media and Information Literacy (CamilCon) held in Kyrgyzstan drew nearly 200 participants.
The Kyrgyz-based non-profit “Media Sabak Foundation,” in cooperation with DW Akademie and with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), organized the conference within the “Global Crisis Initiative II” project.
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Challenges and best practices: Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kyrgyzstan
Media and Information Literacy teachers, media experts, and state representatives explored best practices and challenges to training.
The 3rd international Central Asian Conference on Media and Information Literacy (CamilCon) in Kyrgysztan drew more than 150 participants from across not only Central Asia but also from Poland, Austria, Mongolia, Finland, France, and Ukraine.
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Challenges and best practices: Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kyrgyzstan
Aichurek Usupbaeva, head of the Media Sabak Foundation, discussed MIL concepts in Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgysztan, a DW Akademie partner country, has been successful with MIL integration in schools. MIL training is a mandatory curriculum component for 7th grade high school students and all Kyrgyz teachers are trained in the subject. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan continue to work on integrating MIL training into their educational systems.
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Challenges and best practices: Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kyrgyzstan
Panel discussions and instruction on fact checking, MIL in formal education, interactive MIL lessons and gamification composed the conference program.
More than 150 teachers, media experts, and state representatives explored and exchanged best practices, and challenges and approaches to training, especially in formal education settings, during the two-day gathering. Participants came from not only Central Asia but also Poland, Austria, Mongolia, Finland, France, and Ukraine.
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Challenges and best practices: Media and Information Literacy Conference in Kyrgyzstan
Discussions on factchecking, MIL concepts in formal education, interactive MIL instruction and gamification figured into the conference program.
More than 150 teachers, media experts, and state representatives explored and exchanged best practices during the two-day gathering. Challenges and training approaches, especially in formal education settings. Participants came from not only across Central Asia but from Poland, Austria, Mongolia, Finland, France, and Ukraine.
The project also focuses on expanding the journalists' network along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border, making it easier for the rural population on both sides of the border to obtain balanced information and minimize conflicts between them. Kyrgyz and Tajiki journalists take part in joint discussion rounds with local communities, strengthening their connection to their target audiences. This helps media professionals make conflict-sensitive, cross-border productions more relevant to their audiences.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
The MediaSabak Foundation – DW Akademie's long-time Kyrgyz project partner – recently hosted the summer media camp, MediaStation 2021. It was held at Lake Issyk-Kul in northern Kyrgyzstan.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
45 students from Grades 8 to 12 from all regions of Kyrgyzstan explored the basics of Media and Information Literacy (MIL). They became familiar with critical thinking and blogging, produced multimedia reports, and practiced public speaking.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
The young participants learned how to navigate the digital space and protect themselves from hate speech, false information and cyberbullying.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
Camp participants developed their own media projects. The top projects were given awards.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
Mock elections were held so that participants could learn the specifics of political reporting. Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Committee even provided an authentic, automated ballot box.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
MediaStation's newly-elected president, 15-year-old Babur Azhigulov from Osh, a Kyrgyz city, had never taken part in a summer school. He said it had greatly impressed him. "I've become a leader and now see that much still needs to be done. I've learned a lot about media literacy and human rights, and I really appreciate this. I never would have learned this back home."
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
Camp participants will soon be sharing their MIL experiences and understanding with their classmates. In fact, a group of participants used what they learned to hold an MIL workshop for 25 young participants in Batken, a region in southern Kyrgyzstan. They were supported by Impuls, a local independent organization.
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A different kind of summer camp - Learning about MIL in Kyrgyzstan
MIL summer camp in Kyrgyzstan
MediaSabak und its partner organization, Media Support Center Foundation (MSCF), are among the leading MIL organizations in Central Asia. The portal www.mediasabak.org offers teachers MIL teaching concepts and school students MIL information material. Developed with DW Akademie, it is being used in 96 schools and is available in Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Russian, Uzbek, and Tajik.
Author: Amalia Oganjanyan
In order to strengthen young people's media skills, DW Akademie is working on a pilot project with selected schools. The aim is to integrate media and information literacy (MIL) in the curricula for grades 5 – 11. Media clubs, camps and online courses offer children and youth the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom – for example, by publishing their own articles and broadcasting their own programs. This way they can become more resilient to hate campaigns, misinformation and propaganda.
Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Program Director: Lydia Rahnert
Locations: Bishkek, Dushanbe, Batken, Chudschand, Isfara
Local partners: The Association of Community Media of Kyrgyzstan, Media Development Center Public Foundation (MDC PF), Media Support Center Foundation, Regional Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (NANSMIT), Public Broadcast Company (KTRK), Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, Kloop.kg, Internews
Main focus: Qualification, professionalism and financial sustainability of the media sector, civic engagement, participation of disadvantaged groups, (local) participatory media formats and community media, media and information literacy (MIL)
