OSCE Centre presents research on profitability problems facing Tajikistan's newspapers

DUSHANBE, 19 December 2007 - Most newspapers in Tajikistan are not profitable, according to new research presented today at a news conference at the OSCE Centre in Dushanbe.

The study, the first looking into the costs of producing newspapers in Tajikistan, is part of a series of planned studies analyzing the economic difficulties faced by Tajikistan's print media.

"We aim to create an information source for decision-makers in print media and give recommendations to help strengthen the financial viability of Tajik newspapers. An economically strong media would be able to provide Tajik readers with better access to quality information from and about Tajikistan," said Michael Unland, Media Officer at the Centre.

Just a handful of the country's main newspapers are profitable, while the rest are struggling, researcher Mirsaid Sultonov said.

"Most Tajik newspaper managers are journalists by profession, but they lack managerial skills. Therefore many do not take advertisements seriously and have poor administrative management," he said.

The study identifies the high production costs and newspapers' inability to attract enough advertising as a main reason for their lack of profitability, as the costs cannot be recouped by sales alone. Many state print media rely on subsidies and state-supported subscription campaigns.

There is no daily newspaper in Tajikistan, and most newspapers print just 3,000 copies a week, which means that the newspapers are not easily available in many regions.

The OSCE Centre will organize a meeting in January, bringing together newspaper managers and editors to study and discuss the research.