Navbahor Imomova, a prominent journalist of VOA, spoke about corruption in the media environment of Uzbekistan during the "Markaziy Studio"’s program aired on January 27 on "Mening Yurtim" TV channel.
She said that some materials published in the mass media are done for money, and not disclosed to the public. Whereas it is illegal. In some cases, this is done formally, by transferring money to organizations, but in other instances, the cash goes “under the table”.
"Another form of corruption in the media is that they take money saying that they will work with your PR, which will increase your reputation. Earning from advertising is not a crime. What bothers me as a journalist is that this ad is being kept secret. Or it is a form of service for certain parties.
Journalists and bloggers usually say that we need a living. If we cover any appeal, they say that the applicant should pay us the costs. True, this can be accepted to some extent, but it should not be hidden from the audience.
Brave and audacious mass media should gradually emerge in Uzbekistan. Such publications are few and far between and busy fighting back against pressure from others. They also need to draw boundaries for advertising, commercial content and information.
Corruption is the business of a taker and a giver. Journalists become participants in this situation. If you are a participant in corruption, then you cannot cover corruption," the journalist concluded.
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