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Abstract

Rapid digitalization, the expansion of social media, and the increasing volume of information flows have made media and information literacy (MIL) an essential component of civic competence. In Uzbekistan, the development of MIL has become a national priority in educational and communication policy, viewed as a key tool for strengthening democratic institutions, countering disinformation, and enhancing social responsibility.

The study conducted in 2025 within the framework of the program “Empowering the Government and Citizens of Uzbekistan by Strengthening Access to Information, Accountability of Institutions and Media Competence” provided a comprehensive analysis of the current state of MIL in Uzbekistan and outlined directions for a future national MIL strategy. Through two rounds of consultations and a multistakeholder workshop held in Tashkent (March 2025), 63 key institutions were engaged, including universities, libraries, media outlets, and others.

The findings revealed both encouraging achievements and systemic challenges. Media and information literacy is still often perceived narrowly as a technical or ICT skill rather than a multidimensional field encompassing critical thinking, digital ethics, information safety, and civic engagement.

The research underscores the crucial role of universities and academic institutions as drivers of transformation. Higher education serves as the foundation for training educators, journalists, and researchers capable of integrating MIL principles into curricula and broader public education. Academic research and publishing on MIL are essential for establishing a national conceptual framework that aligns with Uzbekistan’s cultural context—respect for tradition, intergenerational learning, multiculturalism, and the central role of family.

A particular focus of the study is the experience of establishing the University of Journalism and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan, founded in 2018 as a specialized national center for training professional media personnel and advancing media research. Over the past seven years, the university has become a key hub for integrating media and information literacy into higher education through updated curricula, teacher retraining, and the introduction of interdisciplinary modules on digital communication, critical media analysis, and ethics. The study also pays particular attention to the academic education and research activities of the University, highlighting its role as a leading national center for journalism training and media development.

Thus, media and information literacy in Uzbekistan is positioned not merely as an educational priority but as a strategic societal reform initiative. It contributes to building a resilient, informed, and critically thinking citizenry capable of navigating complex information ecosystems, promoting civic culture, and strengthening the country’s democratic and developmental aspirations.

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This study aims to delve into the profound influence of Facebook posts by 'informational influencers' on the public's perception of building a nuclear power station in Kazakhstan. These 'Informational influencers' are not mere conveyors of information but formidable entities capable of significantly shaping public opinion, thereby legitimizing decision-makers actions.

It was widely acknowledged that the Kazakhstani media sphere has witnessed the emergence of 'paid bloggers' as opinion shapers. This unique aspect of the media landscape in Kazakhstan is a pivotal focus of this study, underscoring its novelty and significance. Bloggers have been under government scrutiny since 2012, particularly after the Zhanaozen events. The term 'Bloody bloggers' was coined to describe pro-government bloggers who justified government actions (Beisembayeva, et.al, 2023). Guriev and Treisman (2022) termed this new method of 21st-century dictators as a spin dictatorship. To explore this phenomenon in the Kazakhstani media sphere, the paper selected the case of nuclear power station building decisions in 2024. In October of 2024, Kazakhstan held its first referendum on building the nuclear power station, and more than 70% of voters agreed with this decision.

The research question, 'How do Facebook influencers frame public opinion using media manipulation theory, and what types of frames were used in shaping the decision to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?' is of paramount importance in understanding the pivotal role of social media in shaping public opinion. The answer to this question will provide crucial insights into the dynamics of public opinion formation. Therefore, the primary focus of this study was to identify the manipulation of public opinion using social media platforms in significant decision-making processes.

As a result, the content analysis revealed four primary categories through which Facebook influencers framed the NPP: energy independence, energy safety, the invitation to the referendum, and alternative energy. In-depth interviews demonstrated that this phenomenon is unique and that the content of these posts is similar to one another; it concerns media experts because the government has even started to spend money openly in this way; it will help future studies to identify the government's narratives in particular events; despite that, the free voices also were heard. The analysis demonstrated that Kazakh informational influencers put considerable effort into justifying the government's decision to build an NPP and its significance for the future lives of Kazakh citizens.

#Media Manipulation #Facebook influencers #Kazakhstan

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Freedom of religion is considered a fundamental human right under the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the constitutions of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia. However, since the Soviet Union's dissolution, none of these countries has evolved into democratic governance and preservation of human rights, including religious freedom and press freedom. That failure receives virtually no coverage in the domestic media of those countries, primarily due to direct and quasi-official government control over the press and to the understandable desire of journalists and news outlets to avoid government reprisals. Instead, any coverage of religious rights abuses there is likely to come from international news agencies. This case study examines how the Europe-based specialized international news outlet Forum 18 reports on constraints on religious freedom and practice there. Using content analysis, interviews, and documentary research, it provides insights into news coverage of human rights more broadly in the region, including freedom of expression. The paper examines the types of stories that Forum 18 publishes and the types of news sources its journalists rely on. Although Forum 18's coverage does not penetrate deeply into the Caucasus, the findings can contribute, at least symbolically, to hopes for more accountability in the protection of freedom of worship.

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China’s economic strategy in Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, has shaped the region's infrastructure, trade, and connectivity. In Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the key recipients of Chinese investments in Central Asia, perceptions of China’s presence are deeply influenced by historical and cultural narratives, along with media framing. While Chinese investments have delivered economic benefits, there is a mixed feeling about them, with some people viewing them as threats to economic sovereignty and cultural identity. Media in these countries play a critical role in shaping public opinion, often amplifying concerns about economic dependency and political imbalance.

This research examines how cultural narratives and media portrayals of Chinese investments intersect to influence public sentiment in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. By analyzing the framing of Chinese investments and local responses, the study provides insights into the role of cultural and media dynamics in shaping resistance or acceptance of China’s economic footprint.

The aim of this research is to investigate how cultural narratives and media framing shape public perceptions of China's economic engagement in Central Asia, with a particular focus on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The specific objectives include the following:

Media analysis: To explore the framing of Chinese investments in Uzbek and Kazakh media, identifying themes of sovereignty, cultural identity, and economic dependency.

Cultural narratives: To analyze the historical and cultural dimensions that influence public sentiment toward China.

Resistance dynamics: To identify how these narratives contribute to grassroots acceptance or resistance to Chinese investments. The research is based on the original dataset that comes from the analysis of online news media content, survey and interview data from Tashkent and Almaty.

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This article offers an in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of media existence and the manifestations of diasporic communities in Kazakhstan.

The semiotic space of diasporas in Kazakhstan, in its established diversity, represents both a reality and a theoretical framework. It is always a space of relations where media and other communicative forms (literature, theatre, cinema, social media, etc.) play a crucial role in the processes of constructing and shaping both collective and individual identity, cultural pluralism, and cultural homogeneity.

The research aims to identify and thoroughly analyze the methods of media representation of national minorities in this post-Soviet context, as well as to determine the strategies used by the diasporic communities themselves for self-presentation. Particular attention is paid t how these groups utilize both traditional media channels (such as print publications, radio, and television programs) and new digital platforms (including social networks and online resources) to express their interests, maintain community ties, and participate in public discourse.

A novel aspect of the study is the analysis of the diasporic media environment not only through the means of communication but also in accordance with Aleida Assmann’s concept: through the ways of representing cultural information, the examination of diasporic narratives in a cause-and-effect framework, and their identification of diasporic “exposition” – the structuring of historical and contemporary texts, images and objects within space [Assmann, 2019, pp.493-494].

The research on the medial space of diasporas, including new media, and literature, problematizes the correlation of linguistic, cultural and social components in the mass consciousness, ranging from their “mirror” merging to examples of deconstruction.

Keywords: diasporas, media, media space, national minorities, representation, identity, multicultural society, self-presentation, content-analysis, ethnic media.