Marat Kazakov, exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
On March 27-28 heads of relevant ministries and departments from all regions of the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD), heads of regional information agencies, TV-companies, the mass media of the North Caucasus, representatives of the office of the presidential envoy in the district gathered in Makhachkala at the workshop of “Problems and prospects of effective information policy in the NCFD.”
The event was decided to be held in November 2013 at the First Mass Media Forum of the NCFD, which took place in Pyatigorsk. Alexander Khloponin, Vice Premier of the Russian government, Plenipotentiary Envoy of President in the NCFD, sent his greeting and noted a traditionally high level of development of Dagestan mass media, which could be a basis for building cooperation within the district. He also voiced a strategic priority of the event: preparation for appearance of the North Caucasus media in the all-federal information space.
Participants of the workshop held a sincere discussion. They pointed out such problems as significant information imbalance in the federal mass media toward the North Caucasus. Many positive events and arrangements which influence thousands of residents of the district are not broadcasted. At the same time, any negative information is quickly spread.
Igor Sopov, Director of the Center for Modern Caucasus Policy, told about effective methods of fixing the situation: “If you don’t correct the information agenda, other people will do it for you. Independent thoughtful expert appraisals of happening events should be a foundation for the information agenda in the media space.”
Participants of the event made a conclusion that cooperative work between media resources of the NCFD should be organized within a united information space. Almost all North Caucasus republics face similar problems: ideology of extremism and terrorism, exaggeration of inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts. Moreover, there are promising media projects which could be a basis for a united system. These are Ossetia.tv Internet-TV-channel, Ingushetia NTK TV-center in Magas, Arkhyz-24 TV-channel in Karachay-Cherkessia.
The same day participants of the workshop met the head of Dagestan Ramazan Abdulatipov. The final part of the program was signing of a cooperation memorandum between the executive power bodies of the NCFD constituents. The document includes plans of cooperative work on an attractive image of the NCFD. The memorandum requires broadcasting of positive processes and plans of development of the district, socio-economic, cultural, scientific, education, sporting events in regions of the district. Now ministries and committees of the regions will exchange political, economic, and cultural information systematically. The sides will participate together in international book fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. The document requires information resistance to terrorism and extremism.
Due to joint activity of representatives of the mass media, society, and authorities, establishing of the Media Association of the NCFD is being discussed today. It should become a core and engine of the work on uniting media efforts for creating a new image of the North Caucasus. And the mutual work is able to change the socio-political reality in the regions of the district and attitude of the Russian citizens to the North Caucasus topic, according to participants of the workshop.
