Representations of the June 2010 Events in Kyrgyz and Non-Kyrgyz Media

Abstract

This paper examines the media coverage of the June 2010 ethnic conflicts in Southern Kyrgyzstan in both the local Kyrgyz and international non-Kyrgyz Media. In order to examine the quality and quantity of both news media outlets on the specific event, the method of content analysis has been applied in parameters of topics, framing, sources and storytelling. As a main theoretical framework for the research, I relied on the concept of media framing which is the basic concept for all types of media studies. Alongside media content analysis, the ethnic conflict itself and Kyrgyz and Western media environment has been examined in detail. Results of media research showed that both Kyrgyz and Non Kyrgyz news outlets were biased in reporting the real picture of the conflict with different manners. In case of local newspapers, Kyrgyz journalists failed to provide informative articles on the real situation and took a pro Kyrgyz side with their influential stories. In the case of foreign publications, western reporters succeeded in making their articles more informative compared to local counterparts, and took the pro Uzbek side. As a result, the June 2010 events in Southern Kyrgyzstan have not been described in detail.