OSCE Office brings together journalists from northern and southern Tajikistan to discuss media issues

The Khujand field office of the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 4 May 2011 hosted a discussion between representatives of government and journalists from the country's two major media cities, Dushanbe and Khujand.

The discussion focused on topics that were raised during the World Press Freedom Day event in Dushanbe on 3 May, such as current legal initiatives, new government policies on public information and the challenges of an increased interaction with between media and government.

Other topics discussed were the media business environment, public perception of media reliability and ethics, and draft amendments to media legislation. Of particular interest was the upcoming switch from analogue to digital broadcasting. Participants expressed concerns about how this switch will affect independent broadcasters, including the 11 independent local broadcasters that operate in northern Tajikistan.