Specifics of Use of Mass Media in Kyrgyzstan During Election Campaigns

Abstract

Kyrgyzstan will hold regular parliamentary elections in 2020. Kyrgyz mass media took an active part in almost all previous election campaigns. On the one hand, state mass media acted as an administrative resource. The airtime area of the KRTRC (Public Television and Radio Broadcasting Corporation of the Kyrgyz Republic), state newspapers Kyrgyz Tuusu, Slovo Kyrgyzstana, Erkin-Too and others mainly served to voice and approve candidates, parties lobbied by the ruling power. On the other hand, activities of various political actors and private media are the basis of mosaic of information space in Kyrgyzstan. Political technologists, who see the media as one of the effective mechanisms of influence and public opinion formation, interact closely with them, setting the tone necessary for the client. All these political and information processes led to the fact that in 2005 a multiparty parliament was
elected, citizens were politicized and the development of social networks continues to periodically change the mosaic of the media picture of the country. This is especially intensified, as it has already been noted, on the eve of the elections. However, the relative freedom of the mass media, the possibility of confrontation between different political actors, the use of political technologies, in the absence of a clear state position and ideology do not increase the level of civic activity.