New Media in New Democracies

Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2008 New media in new democracies: perceptions of good governance among traditional and Internet- based media users in Kyrgyzstan Svetlana Viktorovna Kulikova Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Kulikova, Svetlana Viktorovna, "New media in new democracies: perceptions of good governance among traditional and Internet- based media users in Kyrgyzstan" (2008). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1578. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1578 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. NEW MEDIA IN NEW DEMOCRACIES: PERCEPTIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AMONG TRADITIONAL AND INTERNET-BASED MEDIA USERS IN KYRGYZSTAN A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Manship School of Mass Communication by Svetlana V. Kulikova Diploma, Kyrgyz State University (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), 1993 M.A., Central European University (Budapest, Hungary), 1995 M.S., Kansas State University, 1997 August, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project would have never happened without the help of student volunteers in Kyrgyzstan, and my enormous gratitude goes to them: Bektursun, Erlan, Azamat, Jamilya, Elira and Asel from the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University (KTMU), American University of Central Asia (AUCA) senior journalism students Elena, Alena, Gulnara, Alexsandra, Gulsana, Maria, and Nastya, and the entire class of 15 AUCA junior journalism students in my Research Methods course, with Nazira and Veronika in particular. I will be always grateful for all their help in collecting the huge amounts of data, and in particular administering the questionnaire. Separate thanks go to Marina Sivasheva, chair of AUCA Journalism Department, and its office manager Damira Sapanova for giving me an opportunity to teach while conducting field research in Kyrgyzstan, as well as for creating pleasant and productive work environment and making sure that Journalism teachers have all they need. Elira Turdubaeva, a PhD student at KTMU, deserves the highest praise for her organizational skills, making my teaching at KTMU possible, and recruiting volunteers for the project. From the moment this project was only roughly conceptualized, my committee members were extremely supportive and helped me stay focused and sane. The project started with Dr. David Perlmutter, who motivated me to move into the research area of new media and asked me stimulating questions to improve my vague and broad ideas. Dr. Kirby Goidel, my committee chair, gave me incredible support, calmed me down, and brought me back to reality with his healthy skepticism and sense of humor throughout the project. Dr. Lance Porter’s course in New Media allowed me to develop a theoretically well-grounded dissertation proposal, while his mixed-method approach to research became an inspiration and a model for my own research. Dr. Jim Garand is ii by far the best quantitative researcher I ever worked with and an unsurpassed teacher of statistics, thanks to whom I fell in love with numbers again. Dr. Monica Postelnicu gave me the most valuable support with her fresh-PhD advice, in particular in the last semester of my dissertation writing, by being a most understanding and flexible research professor. Dr. Eileen Meehan will always be remembered as the most brilliant, deep, and patient intellectual and the best teacher of political economy, who renewed my interest in Marx and critical school of thought. I would have not received this degree without the people who helped me choose the Manship School and finish the program. My first thanks go to Dr. Ralph Izard, who convinced me to join the program and stayed genuinely interested in my progress. Dr. Peggy DeFleur, I will be always grateful for all your support and understanding to my challenges and problems. Jack Hamilton, you are the most “benevolent dictator” who runs a very fine school and will always stay in my heart and mind as a talented teacher and a great model for everything. George Krimsky, I thank you from the depth of my heart for being a great friend and steering me to study at LSU. Jack and Connie Ronald – no words can describe what you have done for me in these four years through the help and advice you gave at critical times. Bob Tinsley, my deeply felt thanks go to you as well, for your support, encouragement, and friendship. I thank you all for believing in me, at times more than I believed in myself. Emily Metzgar, Raluca Cosma, Jane Daley, Shenid Bhayroo, and Mihaela Craioveanu, I hope our friendship will last and prove that people stick together in both challenging and happy times. Elena Petrenko and Lada Nazarova – thank you both for staying true to our long and beautiful friendship. Last but most important, Mom, Inna, Daria, and the light and love of my life, my beautiful son Ilia – everything I do in this life is driven by you and meant for you. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ii LIST OF TABLES ..........................................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................vii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................viii INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1. FRAMING A GOOD GOVERNANCE ISSUE: COVERAGE OF 2007 CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM BY KYRGYZSTAN’S PRINT AND INTERNET- BASED MEDIA..............................................................................................................................5 1.1 Background .........................................................................................................................5 1.2 Literature Review................................................................................................................7 1.3 Method and Procedures.....................................................................................................13 1.4 Results and Discussion......................................................................................................18 1.5 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................51 CHAPTER 2. PERCEPTIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE AMONG THE TRADITIONAL AND INTERNET-BASED MEDIA USERS IN KYRGYZSTAN ..............................................54 2.1 Background and Definitions..............................................................................................54 2.2 Beyond Managed Democracy and Toward Consolidated Democracy .............................60 2.3 Methods and Instruments ..................................................................................................79 2.4 Results and Discussion......................................................................................................89 2.5 Conclusions .....................................................................................................................136 CONCLUSIONS.........................................................................................................................138 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................143 APPENDIX A: TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS – THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC.......................147 APPENDIX B: CODING SHEETS ............................................................................................149 APPENDIX C: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ..........................................................................152 APPENDIX D: VARIABLES AND INDEXES – CODING SCHEME ....................................157 VITA ...........................................................................................................................................162 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1.3.1. Summary of Sources and Published Stories…………………………………..14 Table 1.3.2. Off-line Impact Potential by Source Independence…………………………..17 Table 1.4.1. Evaluation of Constitutional Court/Referendum Decision…………………19 Table 1.4.2. Evaluation of Government Actions in Terms of Good Governance………..20 Table 1.4.3. Reporting of Turnout Rates……………………………………………………..21 Table 1.4.4. Reporting of Violations During the Referendum……………………………..22 Table 1.4.5. Reporting of Use of Administrative Resource During the Referendum……23 Table 1.4.6. Evaluation of Possible Developments as Optimistic or Pessimistic………...25 Table 1.4.7. Originality of Material by Key Sample Characteristics………………………27 Table 1.4.8. Frames Relating to President Bakiev’s Actions and Motivations…………...36 Table 1.4.9. Frames Explaining What Constitutional

Load more