Distinguished media workers!
Dear friends!
I sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, congratulate you and the veterans of the sphere, who make a worthy contribution to its development today, on this wonderful holiday – the Press and Media Workers’ Day, and I express my deep respect and best wishes to all of you.
In your person, we see selfless and hardworking people who share their profound knowledge, talent and skills to such a noble cause as ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens in the field of information, exalting the honor and dignity of a person, improving self-awareness and expanding the worldview of compatriots, strengthening the atmosphere of openness and transparency in society, protecting national interests in the global information space.
Our people know well and highly appreciate that today, as Uzbekistan enters a new and important stage of its development, the representatives of the media sphere – the journalists and editors, directors and operators, bloggers, employees of TV and radio channels, newspapers and magazines, publishing houses and printing presses are making an enormous contribution to the democratic image of the country, and its glorification in the world.
Dear compatriots!
In recent years, Uzbekistan has been engaged in a large-scale effort to transform the mass media into a reliable bridge for dialogue with the people, to develop a modern market for information services, healthy competition among the media and to enhance their material and technical basis, to strengthen tradition of mentoring, decent stimulation of hard work of employees of the sphere.
Thanks to such a profound attention, the number of media outlets in the country has increased by almost 30 percent compared to 2016 and now stands at 1962. The private media, in particular, are playing an increasingly important role in our life, which is an important factor in ensuring a plurality of opinions in society, promoting fundamental reforms and courageous reporting on shortcomings and problems on the ground.
In this regard, it should be noted that a modern Internet platform and mobile application have been created in order to integrate television and the Internet, and in the national information infrastructure the number of Internet publications has almost doubled to 677 over the past six years.
As a result, state and non-state organizations have even more sources of information, a wide range of opportunities are being created for direct dialogue with the population, rapid coverage of people’s concerns, open, objective and critical statements in the media on various topics.
Today in the communications field, we have an urgent task to turn quantitative indicators into qualitative ones, to bring national journalism to a new level of development.
The media companies of Uzbekistan, having consolidated a commendable place also in the world information arena, are striving to participate more actively in global socio-political processes.
To this end, it is essential to work tirelessly, to learn advanced foreign experience, modern information technologies and analytical methods, to be in constant search, to educate a new generation of our national journalism.
We have all the resources and potential to reach such high levels, as reflected in the New Uzbekistan Development Strategy.
Another priority is the creation of the most favorable information opportunities for our citizens and the enhancement of the role and influence of the mass media in the exercise of public control over the activities of public authorities and administrations.
It should be emphasized that we will continue our efforts to focus on the improvement of the material and technical base of the sphere and provide the work incentives for employees.
An important step in this direction was the recently adopted presidential resolution on support for the mass media and further development of journalism. It provides for measures to strengthen the protection of the legitimate interests of the mass media, to further increase the capacity and competitiveness of the personnel, to provide housing for the needy and young journalists.
Furthermore, this year the current status of the Printing Houses will critically examined in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, all regional centers and the city of Tashkent and the necessary measures will be taken to construct new buildings.
As it is well-known, in accordance with universally recognized international democratic principles, freedom of the press is of a particular importance among all civil and political rights. Indeed, along with successes, we also have problems in this area.
One example is that the social networks have recently reported the facts of contempt for media workers and obstruction of journalists’ freedom of activity within their powers.
In this regard, I would like to emphasize once again that in the democratic state based on the rule of law, which we are building, freedom of speech and the press shall always be protected by the Constitution, laws and the President of the country.
An impediment to the free exercise of the legitimate activities of media workers should be considered as opposition to our democratic reforms, damaging the authority of the country. The prosecution and judicial authorities should act decisively on such negative facts, which are totally unacceptable to us.
The truth we must never forget is as follows: all of us learn democracy, and it is an ongoing process. There is still much left to be done in this area.
I am confident that having a firm civil stance, having rich professional and life experience, the representatives of the press and mass media, distinguished veterans of the sphere shall be an example for us in education of the younger generation in this spirit.
Dear friends!
On this occasion, a group of employees of the sphere has been conferred on high state awards, which undoubtedly inspires all of you to achieve the new milestones, accords strength and energy.
Taking this opportunity, I once again sincerely congratulate you, dear masters of the word, on this holiday. I wish all of you a sound health, happiness and great creative successes, peace and well-being to your families.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan