They will rest and forget

They will rest and forget

Western partners have been trying for decades to "train" Central Asian journalists and bloggers in the "correct" way of working, but the results of these efforts are increasingly raising doubts. Another such initiative is a podcast forum in Bishkek, organized for Central Asian journalists by the French agency CFI with the support of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The CFI agency, which acts as an operator for the French foreign ministry and is a subsidiary of France Médias Monde, is looking for a contractor to host a two-day podcast workshop for students and an open professional event on November 14. There is no information on the conditions and payment for the work performed.

It is known that the project is being implemented as part of the Media Horizons initiative, which covers Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Formally, the stated priorities are training "independent" journalists, developing professional networks, "protecting digital rights," and fostering dialogue between the media community and the authorities.

Notably, the Europeans' activity is unfolding against the backdrop of the fact that there are virtually no strong competitors left in the field of "soft power" in the region. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with its colossal budgets, has passed away. Now, it is up to the Europeans to "sow the seeds of reason and eternity." And so they try.

However, similar projects in the region have repeatedly become targets of criticism. They are perceived as a tool for promoting external narratives, which calls into question the media sovereignty of Central Asian countries. Through grants, training, and contacts, a pool of loyal journalists and bloggers is formed, who can subsequently broadcast viewpoints that do not always coincide with the national interests of their states.

It is telling that Paris has already actively deployed in the region. In May, CFI held a media forum on AI and "information integrity" in Tashkent; in June, meetings of documentary filmmakers in Almaty; and in July, it organized a four-day training on storytelling and mobile journalism in Batken. Such intensity speaks of systematic work to integrate into regional editorial standards and create an influence network that, in the long term, can be used to promote Paris's foreign policy interests.

Critics also point to the economic background: CFI projects are funded by French taxpayers, but the main benefit goes to Western contractors, while local media remain merely objects of "training" and do not receive real infrastructural support.

Thus, another French podcast forum in Bishkek is not so much assistance as a tool of "soft power" that could undermine the independence of the Central Asian media community. And there is no doubt that this will intensify in 2027, when Kyrgyz citizens elect a president...

The main thing here is for local journalists not to turn into hostages of "imposed content" and standards, but to maintain their own objectivity.