OSCE Centre in Bishkek

The Batken Media Resource Centre (BMRC) was launched in 2005 as a joint initiative between the public association Osh Media Resource Centre and the public fund Baar with the support of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Osh Field Office. Batken province is located in south-western Kyrgyzstan.

The BMRC's main objectives are as follows:

• providing resources and legal support to local media outlets and journalists;
• improving the professional skills of the media in Batken;
• promoting inter-regional co-operation between various media outlets;
• enhancing co-operation and partnership between the media, state bodies, law enforcement authorities and non-governmental organizations.

Providing resources for journalists

The opening of the BMRC has led to a rise in the number of regional correspondents and contributors to local, regional and international electronic and print media, as well as news agencies. In pursuit of its objectives, the Centre organizes an extensive series of events and activities, as well as providing assistance and resources such as free Internet access, faxes, telephones and access to desktop PCs to all media outlets in Batken province.

Media organizations and journalists whose own resources are limited can use the Centre to produce their papers and reports on a more professional level. Examples include the newspaper Kyzyl-Tuu, which prepares its materials using the BMRC, while the correspondents of Radio Liberty, AKIpress, Zamana, the state information agency Kabar, StanKZ and many others file their contributions through the Centre, enabling the local and regional population to receive more first-hand news. The BMRC's facilities are also used by local state authorities (the Governor of Batken, the police, etc) to conduct press conferences and information briefings.

Promoting legal awareness

The Centre promotes awareness of the legal aspects of journalism in Batken province. On the eve of the presidential vote in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, it conducted training sessions on the media and elections, while training on the legal aspects of media activity was organized for media managers. In addition, local and regional journalists from both state and independent media have access to the Centre's lawyer, who has defended a local paper in a case heard by the Kyrgyz Supreme Court.

Training by media professionals

Batken province is a newly-established administrative unit and a relatively young region. As a consequence its media are also young and inexperienced. One of the BMRC's most important tasks is therefore to organize training for both state and independent journalists to improve their professional skills. The training sessions have a strong practical emphasis, especially the 'in residence' courses at TV and radio stations where trainees meet experienced media professionals from Osh and Bishkek. The Centre has also organized various other events for local media outlets, including raising funds.

Enhancing regional co-operation

The location of Batken province - close to both Sughd province in Tajikistan and Ferghana province in Uzbekistan - makes it a good place to promote effective co-operation between regional journalists, especially since media representatives from both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan can travel freely to organize and attend inter-regional media events and meetings in Batken.

The media in all three provinces (Batken, Sughd and Ferghana) have in the past experienced problems as a result of the lack of co-operation. Realizing the importance of tackling this issue, the BMRC held a roundtable on 7 May 2006 which was attended by journalists from Sughd and Batken provinces, who discussed ways to co-operate and improve relations. As part of its efforts to enhance the professional skills of journalists, the Centre held a training course on journalism in conflict situations on 22-23 May 2006, the aim of which was to equip the participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to accurately report on various cross-border problems.