European Institute for the Media
Zollhof 2a
D-40221 Dusseldorf
Email: madp@eim.org
Tel: +49-211-90104-74
Fax: +49-211-90104-56
Tel. in Bishkek: 287290
Email: eim@mail.kg
15 October 2000

PRESS RELEASE

Monitoring of Media Coverage during the Presidential Elections in Kyrgyzstan October 2000

The European Institute for the Media (EIM), a non-profit, non-government, policy-oriented research institution, will carry out a mission to monitor media coverage of the Kyrgyz presidential elections. The mission is funded by the European Commission through the Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. Since 1992, the EIM has carried out more than 40 media monitoring missions during parliamentary and presidential elections in countries of east and central Europe and the former Soviet Union.

The mission seeks to evaluate whether the media provide impartial and balanced coverage of the issues to be addressed and the political choices facing the electorate. Monitoring will be carried out from 15 – 29 October 2000 and includes observation of adherence of the authorities and the candidates to the recognised democratic norms concerning the media.

Monitoring will be conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. Quantitative analysis measures the amount of time and space devoted to political candidates on eight television channels and ten newspapers. The Bishkek-based company SGI Creative Management Association will carry out the quantitative analysis under EIM supervision. The EIM team consists of the following members: