A little about imprinting, or How the general is promoted – “MSN”

A little about imprinting, or How the general is promoted

Well, what can I tell you about MSN? The weather is normal. Journalists write, readers read. And sometimes they react very painfully and even obscenely.
This is in the order of things – we have long been accustomed to swearing. In addition, many Bishkek residents support the newspaper, so the balance is not disturbed. When we were revealing the essence of the Akayev regime, we were watered in all government and family media, in Internet forums. The revolution won, the opposition came to power – that is, what we fought for four years has come true. Naturally, today we are on the side of those who have replaced the former government that was corrupted to the core. And again we are being poured with mud by the same media and forum visitors who do not give their names.
Here is a quote from the article “There is no prophet in the fatherland” (“SK” dated May 6): “The growing information war against Felix Kulov is being waged, ironically, by those newspapers and journalists who in Akayev’s era praised Kulov in every possible way, calling him a political prisoner … By their current attacks on the leader of the Ar-Namys party, they refute (not all readers have a short memory) their own previous arguments in his defense. However, the public understands perfectly why and for what the newspapermen began to debunk their own idols.
Correspondent Kurmanbek Mambetov deliberately does not write the names of newspapers and does not name the journalists suspected of duplicity. But the hint is clear to everyone: we are talking about “MSN” and, most likely, about the author of these lines (none of the colleagues writes about Kulov and his political claims).
Neither our newspaper nor I personally praised Kulov. Sympathized – yes. Morally supported, publishing his numerous interviews – yes. But this does not mean at all that we have undertaken the obligation to forever follow Felix Sharshenbaevich and make him a political image, regardless of differences in positions and points of view. He is now a free man, he can easily do without our help.
What is the essence of the discrepancies? We will never agree with Akayev’s return to big politics and will write about such intentions. The point is not even whether Kulov met with him in Moscow or not. Felix Sharshenbaevich in his interviews declares that this is slander. But with all his behavior, he seems to create a “soft rating” for the former president. This looks like an attempt to rehabilitate, at least partially, Akayev in the eyes of the Kyrgyz people and create the preconditions for his (and his household) to return to active political activity in the event of Kulov’s victory in the elections. This opinion is erroneous or true, the near future will show.
The right to express one’s point of view about anyone is the cornerstone of a free press. Politicians are not sacred cows; as public figures, they must be prepared for the fact that society will carefully analyze their every step. It is clear that Felix Kulov for many Kyrgyzstanis is a hero who fought against the Akayev regime (as Felix Sharshenbaevich himself speaks of). In fact, it was Akayev who fought with Kulov when he stood across his path to the presidency – and quite successfully. Bakiyev is now the first opponent for the former president. And it is Kulov for Akayev who is the only chance so far not to remain on the political sidelines. For this reason, Askar Akayevich, in exchange for guarantees, can provide Felix Sharshenbaevich with substantial support, and by no means only moral, through his like-minded people, of whom, for obvious reasons, there are especially many in parliament.
A common thing in big politics: enemies become friends, and friends turn into opponents. As Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, said: “Previously it was considered impossible, but now it has been proven.” The famous ethologist Konrad Lorenz, who studied animal behavior, developed the theory of imprinting (imprinting). He found out that a newborn gosling considers any moving object as a mother. No offense to Kulov’s fans, I will say that in their current attitude towards him there is imprinting. As Felix Kulov was imprinted in their minds from the time of the tragic Osh events in the image of a strong, self-confident commander, this image is forever stuck in their memory. And now people wonder why their idol is being overthrown from the podium, how dare they encroach on sacred things!
K. Mambetov, apparently, hesitated to clarify “why and for what the newspapermen began to debunk their own idols.” For me, neither Felix Kulov nor Kurmanbek Bakiev have ever been political idols, there is no one to debunk. Our newspaper supports Bakiyev and the government because they are the only ones in the country today who work and do not talk. (Don’t shoot the pianist, he plays as best he can.) But the “SK” journalist admitted a subtle allusion to fat circumstances: the stump is clear, not disinterested. Our opponents on the Internet and some media outlets are blowing the same tune, spitting poison: Prizhivoit was nominated for the title of ambassador – how could she not sell out! (You might think that otherwise I would have supported Kulov.)
Cynics say that an honest journalist is one that is sold ONCE. Akaev’s team made attempts to come to an agreement with us more than once or twice. The editorial office would have long been able to prosper, and not wander in strange corners and not pay hundreds of thousands of soms in fines for lawsuits.
I just had to sell myself to the Family. We chose a different path – an open struggle against the regime, and the newspaper played an important role in its downfall. But many people prefer not to remember this.
And how did you “buy” the editor-in-chief Alexander Kim? As we rented the premises for the editorial office, we continue. We are patiently awaiting the court decision; we are not asking either Bakiyev or anyone from his team to help. The court, however, is in no hurry to decide the issue of ownership of the Vecherka building. We could sit in this building right on March 24, and then there would be a different alignment of forces. But A. Kim said: we will decide everything according to the law. And we saved “Vecherka” from marauders.
At the end of last week, Felix Sharshenbaevich visited Vecherka personally and had a long conversation with its editor-in-chief. I suppose they were not talking about the weather. For the period of the election campaign, this presidential candidate needs a large circulation of mass media. Here you have all the “legality” – the way Felix Kulov understands it, and all his highest adherence to principles. It is not a secret for anyone (including the FShK) that Adil Toygonbaev continues to rule the city newspaper. If Akayev and his closest relatives were opposed to the former political prisoner, no such negotiations could take place.
Now about PR in favor of Kulov. TRK “Pyramida” was outraged that in the article “Who rocks the boat?” I wrote that this channel has already issued the first PR product: it has conducted monitoring, and all respondents, except one, expressed their support for Kulov. It turns out that I incorrectly formulated the question: “Whom do the people of Bishkek see as the future president of Kyrgyzstan?” instead of “Which politician do you sympathize with?” But the result was named absolutely correctly: all the respondents preferred Kulov, and only one – Bakiyev. That is, they will vote in this way, and not vice versa – this is not discussed. But “Pyramid” took advantage of a minor inaccuracy and played its “refutation” many times. And this is not Kulov’s PR?
There is other evidence of how Pyramid serves the FShK. During the visit to Bishkek of the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, the TV channel showed a story not about his meeting with and. about. President of the Kyrgyz Republic by Prime Minister K. Bakiev, and with F. Kulov. Met with the Turks, well done. But he is not an official representing the state, but a private person representing himself. Therefore, there are strings attached, and “Pyramid” diligently emphasizes this. Here, they say, is an informal leader, and what weight and authority it has! And at the reception at the Russian embassy for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, the camera thoroughly demonstrated the embrace of the FShK with the Russian ambassador. Is this not PR too?
There is no need to even talk about the KOORT channel – it continues to chew on the old gum: at every convenient and inconvenient occasion, it repeats footage of looting. As if in Bishkek the devil still breaks his leg on the streets. Is this not an attempt to pull the nerves of citizens once again? Is this not trying to maintain in them a sense of fear and insecurity in the present and future? Doesn’t this spur the desire of Russian-speaking citizens to leave our country?
KTR with its news programs looks against the background of this informational feast (the signature “dish” – F. Kulov with a side dish of broken glass: bad Bakiyev, still hasn’t put things in order) as a junior schoolboy at an adult get-together. And this is also the result of the personnel policy of the current government in the media sphere. The old song about the main thing was dragged on by the newspaper Slovo Kyrgyzstana – as it scolded MSN for its position in relation to Akayev and his team, and continues – for supporting the new government (which, as everyone knows, is not a successor, but an enemy of the old ). Most surprisingly, the government newspaper speaks out against the government. (In the past, such an exacerbation of critical feelings towards the Tanaev cabinet of ministers was not observed. But did you lift a finger to the acting president in the first post-revolutionary days, where would the editor-in-chief of “SK” be today? At least retired).
That is the difference between Bakiyev and Akayev, that the last nightingale was spreading about freedom of the press, and he himself removed and appointed all the leaders of the KTR and government newspapers (his son-in-law and son dealt with the rest), and his entourage did everything to roll this very freedom. For Bakiyev, this behavior is unacceptable. Declares that interference in the work of the media is unacceptable – and does not allow.
Citizens who support Felix Kulov unanimously explain their choice unambiguously: you need a “strong hand”. In our common past there was already such a hand: it strangled indiscriminately the right and the guilty. And strangled tens of millions of ordinary and difficult citizens. And the rest were either intimidated to convulsions, or turned into informers and informers. We do not need a “strong hand”, but obedience to the laws of everyone, young and old. That not all laws are good yet is not a problem, it is fixable. It is necessary that they work, and this is possible only if the authorities do not put themselves above the Constitution and laws, which has been happening in Kyrgyzstan for many years. Therefore, we have regionalism, tribalism, corruption, and justice in the courts.
It was a nice option: Bakiev is the future president, Kulov is the prime minister. Both have a lot of advantages with an acceptable number of disadvantages. And the people would have sighed calmly, the North-South problem would instantly recede into the background. But no, this option did not suit the iron Felix. Self-love leaped or someone explained to him that he deserves more, God knows. Although, in all fairness, Kulov did not make the revolution, he could have gone in tandem. His associates in Bishkek believe that they took the White House. They only brought thousands of people to the rally, and not the first in the country. And they did not at all expect that Akayev’s power would collapse in a matter of minutes. And there the curve took out. But this did not reduce the ambitions, only more. In the early days, if Bakiyev had been attracted to power by opposition leaders who were not part of the People’s Movement of Kyrgyzstan, there would probably not have been such a confrontation now.
What has been done is done, and what has not been done, then I’m sorry … Politicians are preparing for the elections as for a war. “Well, as the war goes on, the bullet will find a hole,” Bulat Okudzhava sang. “The dawns have already woken up that they will bring you back to life, there are already prepared bullets that will whistle past you,” Yuri Vizbor sang. It doesn’t matter who the lucky one is. It’s all about the price of the issue.
Rina Prizhivoyt.