The regular meeting of the Public Council under the Public Foundation for the Support and Development of National Mass Media was held online.
The Council addressed two important issues. The first item on the agenda concerned the media situation during the pandemic, the activities of bloggers and journalists during this difficult time and forecasts on the prospects of the sphere after lockdown. Because the halt of the entire economy negatively affects the media sphere, the council members put forward their proposals to reduce the negative consequences and forecasts for the further development of the sphere.
In particular, the council members proposed measures to support and protect the media, such as introducing tax holidays and easing to the media and their employees, reviewing the cost of renting television and radio frequencies, as well as office space for editorial offices. Final measures will be sent to the relevant state bodies after consultation with expert economists.
The meeting also discussed the situation that arose with the Nemolchi.uz website. According to the results of monitoring the site of the project “Do not be silent”, conducted by the Agency of Information and Mass Communications, the Agency issued a notice recommending the removal of materials that contradict the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan, do not comply with our mentality, in particular, negatively affect the spiritual and educational education of young people.
Considering that this situation was actively discussed by the public, it became an occasion for statements by foreign media and public figures, this issue was included in the agenda of the meeting of the Public Council.
The speeches of all members of the Public Council on this issue were heard. In particular, it was noted that controlling and preventing the spread of illegal information in the information space is one of the main tasks of the government department, but at the same time, specific criteria for determining a particular material “alien to the national mentality” are not fixed, which in turn can lead to practice to personal assessments by the conducting monitoring; that values should not be in words but in deeds; that in this age of information technology and the Internet, it is necessary to reconsider the attitude to the fight against materials that negatively affect the upbringing of children.
It was also highlighted the advisability that, in the future, in the introduction of such notifications, AIMC take into account the policy, the supremacy of freedom of speech in the country and strengthen cooperation with representatives of the media and social networks.
In the current situation, members of the Public Council almost unanimously expressed support for the author of the Do Not Be Silent project Irina Matvienko and advocated continuing the project, aimed at preventing threats and violence against women in society, under the heading “18+”.
Instead of conclusion, emphasizing the need for strict observance of laws by all participants in the information space, we urge AIMС and the Do Not Be Silent project to resolve this issue constructively, that is, through negotiations, to resolve all misunderstandings and establish cooperation. We hope that this issue will be resolved in favor of "Do not be silent" project.
