COVID-19 - is not a reason to break the media law

Yesterday, the League of Court Journalists of Kazakhstan made an appeal to President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev. The appeal says:

“Dear Kassym-Zhomart Kemelevich, we ask you to allow journalists to attend briefings and other events of state bodies and not to give all press conferences in online format.

Today you introduced a “state of emergency” in the country, and so far no one provided a clear explanation on a number of issues.  It is understood that the citizens should receive all the information from online briefings. However, our experience prove that officials are happy to evade “acute” issues, do not provide comprehensive explanations, and limit their answers by a dry statement of convenient facts.

In this regard, we consider the presence of journalists at government briefings necessary. In this situation, the media provides a real connection with the common people. Journalists are the ones who able to convey the problems and questions of the population to officials.

In our turn, we undertake to observe all safety precautions, personal hygiene rules, to use face masks, and  not to attend briefings and press conferences in case of the slightest ailment.

Besides, we regard the restriction of journalists in physical access to information as a violation of the law "On the Mass Media", intentional concealment of facts from the people, and ignoring the real problems of citizens of Kazakhstan.

In Nur-Sultan, people are not allowed to take tests for coronavirus in private capacity, saying that those who did not contact the patients could not get infected. At the same time, we have been restricted from access to civil servants at briefings, that can be views a doubt in our health condition.

In Almaty, press secretaries of state bodies do not ask their chiefs “uncomfortable” questions sent by journalists. Yesterday, at an online press conference in Almaty Akimat (governor's office), onlly those questions were asked that were chosen by the employees of the regional communications service, all the other questions remained unanswered.

A copy of the appeal is also sent to Prime Minister Askar Mamin, Senate Speaker Dariga Nazarbayeva, Mazhilis Speaker Nurlan Nigmatulin, and Minister of Information and Public Development Dauren Abayev. ”