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Item Open Access How Kazakhstan’s Media Covered the Nuclear Power Plant Referendum Campaign: A Comparative Study(SDU Journal of Media Studies, 2025) Dariya Zulfukharkyzy; Yelnur AlimovaIn October 2024, Kazakhstan announced its intention to construct a nuclear power plant, a decision that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described as “a choice for the country’s future.” The debate surrounding the project extends beyond energy policy, reflecting deeper questions about how public opinion is shaped through the media. This study analyses the coverage of the nuclear power plant issue in Kazakhstani media during the period preceding the referendum to examine how reality was constructed and which frames dominated public discourse. It compares representations in state and independent outlets, identifying whether narratives of government endorsement or critical perspectives prevailed. Through this analysis, the study evaluates the extent to which coverage met international journalistic standards and explores how language, structure, and the absence of alternative viewpoints contributed to a constrained media environment. The findings provide insight into the framing of national policy debates and the implications for pluralism, journalistic ethics, and public deliberation in Kazakhstan.Item Open Access Internet and New Media Use by Central Asian Citizens Before and Towards the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic(SDU Journal of Media Studies, 2025) Yerkebulan SairambayThis research examines the differences and similarities in the Internet, chat room, messenger, and social media use by citizens in Central Asia before and towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five stans –Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan –have varying levels of authoritarianism and media usage, especially new media use, might differ among these countries. Drawing on Central Asia Barometer, I demonstrate such comparisons over three years using data collected in 2019 and 2022. In addition to this, I also analyse the frequencies of Internet use by Central Asian people and which chat rooms, messengers, and social media were used most often in the region. The results and analysis show that by the end of the pandemic, citizensof all five republics began to use the Internet more, albeit in different volumes, compared to 2019. Accordingly, the frequency of use of new media (chat rooms, messengers, and social media) was also positive with varying degrees of difference.Possible explanations for these results and the usefulness of this study are discussed.Item Open Access Understanding the Dynamics Behind the Nuclear Referendum in Kazakhstan(SDU Journal of Media Studies, 2025) Zhanel SabirovaAlong the interest of understanding motivations behind non-constitutional referendums, Kazakhstan contributes to the debate with its latest nuclear referendum held in October 2024. The paper argues that the nuclear referendum in Kazakhstan reflects national factors echoed in country’s nuclear memory, and internal political dynamics, including governmental control over public opinion and security concerns. Despite official claims of transparency, comparison with the 2022 referendum and media reporting raises doubts about the vote’s credibility. Therefore, the qualitative research method required analyzing media coverage of nuclear referendum news including headlines from state owned and independent media sources of Kazakhstan. Thematic and framed analysis was done through Taguette software to identify recurring themes and discrepancies between official narratives and public discourse. The result of the analysis demonstrated that the government owned media strongly propagating on the benefits of NPP on the economic, social, and environmental development of the country, independent media significantly focused on opposing state narratives and bringing counter arguments in the pre-referendum public debate. Overall, the 2024 referendum illustrates how the government uses controlled participation to legitimize nuclear policy while limiting genuine democratic processes. The qualitative media analysis of state controlled and independent news agencies of Kazakhstan were evaluated to assess transparency and motivations behind the referendum.Item Open Access Kazakhstan’s Proactive Measures in Addressing the Aral Sea Crisis as a Platform for Enhanced International Representation and Media Engagement(SDU Journal of Media Studies, 2025) Arailym NiyetbekAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union, the countries of Central Asia faced new challenges, including the gradual disappearance of the Aral Sea rooted in the Soviet era. This near disappearance serves as a symbol of the region’s victimisation, as the Soviets diverted the waters of what was once the fourth largest lake in the world to irrigate cotton fields and boost agricultural output. Once spanning 68,000 square kilometres, the sea has shrunk by 90%. Being a key player in Central Asia, Kazakhstan has taken the lead in regional efforts to find solutions to this critical environmental, social, and economic disaster. As a young state striving for recognition, Kazakhstan has come under close attention, implementing various initiatives, including the construction of the first sand dam in the Berg Strait and the Kokaral Dam, the signing of the Almaty Agreement, the establishment of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and the organisation of EXPO 2017. The paper attempts to explain Kazakhstan’s efforts in resolving the crisis in the Aral Sea and its impact on its international representation and media engagement. The findings indicate that Kazakhstan’s environmental actions may potentially support not only the restoration of local ecology but also strengthen the country’s image as an important regional player in sustainable development. This paper addresses environmental diplomacy in the context of strategic action for countries seeking better positions globally while seeking solutions for pressing ecological problems.Item Open Access Framing Female Returnees: Media Representations of Women Repatriated from ISIS in Kazakhstan(SDU Journal of Media Studies, 2025) Tumarbike BekitovaThis paper examines how female returnees from Syria are represented in Kazakhstani media through gendered assumptions. It focuses on women repatriated under Kazakhstan’s Operation Jusan following the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State. The study draws on around 30 pieces of media content, including news articles from Tengrinews, Khabar, Sputnik Kazakhstan, ZTB News, Inform.kz, Caravan.kz, Azattyq, and Vlast, as well as official press releases from Akorda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It explores how women are framed as victims, wives, mothers, or security threats, and how these portrayals intersect with national policy priorities. Gendered narratives simplify complex realities by relying on socially prescribed ideas of how men and women are expected to act during conflict. The findings show that Kazakhstani media often adopt a humane, state-centered discourse, presenting returnees as vulnerable mothers in need of rehabilitation, while simultaneously reinforcing state legitimacy through a protective, paternalistic tone. State-owned outlets tend to highlight a few “model cases” that confirm the official narrative, depoliticizing the issue and obscuring structural drivers of radicalization, which may may hinder genuine reintegration efforts. By contrast, independent media platforms offer more nuanced portrayals, granting women greater agency and situating their experiences within broader structural and social issues, although these accounts remain relatively limited. The study argues that even benevolent narratives can function as tools of political control. Recognizing the influence of gendered framings is therefore crucial for developing more inclusive approaches to transitional justice, gender equality, and sustainable security and reintegration policies.Item Open Access Social Media Humor and Loneliness during COVID-19 Quarantine: Experiences of Asian Students in Japan(SDU University, 2026) Serdaly D.The COVID-19 pandemic radically disrupted social life, intensifying experiences of loneliness for many university students. This qualitative study examines how Asian students studying at Japanese universities experienced loneliness during the pandemic, and how humorous content on social media supported their emotional coping. Drawing on a narrative approach and semi-structured interviews, this study included in-depth interviews with five students from Japan, India, the Philippines, Turkey, and Kazakhstan who were enrolled in Japanese universities between March and December 2020. Timelines of “a typical day in quarantine” and narrative sketches were developed for each participant, focusing on their everyday rhythms, social ties, and media practices. The findings show that loneliness emerged not only from physical isolation and closed borders, but also from disrupted routines, cancelled rituals, and uncertainty about the future. Participants turned to familiar humorous series, memes, and short videos as a way to “escape,” feel “lighter,” and maintain mediated togetherness with distant friends and family. Humor on social media did not remove loneliness, but helped participants reframe it, soften emotional overload, and sustain a sense of shared experience across distance. The article argues that social media humor can act as a form of affective companionship and low-threshold emotional support for international and domestic students in times of crisis.Item Open Access Palestine Through the Central Asian Lens: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan’s Independent Media Narratives of the Gaza War (2023-2026)(SDU University, 2026) Turdybek B.The October 2023 escalation of the war between Israel and Palestine led to a long-term controversy at the humanitarian and strategic level in the regions, such as Central Asia. This article focuses on the coverage and assessment of the stance of independent media outlets in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan regarding their position on the Gaza war from October 2023 to February 2026. The government’s position is being dealt with as a mediated object through framing instead of being a fixed diplomatic statement. The study is based on qualitative comparative analysis of the texts from three media sources in Kazakhstan (Ulysmedia, Orda, Radio Azattyq) and three in Kyrgyzstan (Radio Azattyk, 24.kg, AKIpress), obtained by keyword searching and screened for substantive reference to official positioning. Items were coded in terms of valence [positive/neutral/negative portrayal] and for the predominant narrative moves, i.e. legality and United Nations norms, humanitarian protection, security discourse, and procedural legitimacy. Findings indicate convergences in narratives of the formal diplomatic contents: both states are told through ceasefire calls, civilian protection, international law, and a two-state solution. Differences lie in emphasis. Kazakhstani coverage justifies its stance using governance and diplomacy, and Radio Azattyq prioritizes procedure around sustainable commitments. Kyrgyz media emphasize solidarity and humanitarian mobilization, while Azattyk highlights sharper moralslegal language and cues of accountability. Overall, the study illuminates domestication of war by looking at how Central Asian discourse presents war and reveals the influence of narration in the genesis of perceived legitimacy of foreign policy.Item Open Access After Karimov and Nazarbayev: Official Media Discourses on Central Asian Identity in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan(SDU University, 2026) Korkem SerikbekSince the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asia has not developed a unified regional identity, as the young republics primarily focused on building national sovereignty and state-building. Leadership changes in Uzbekistan (2016) and Kazakhstan (2019) marked the end of long-standing rule since 1989, paving the way for a new regional dialogue. The article investigates how the new presidents Shavkat Mirziyoyev and KassymJomart Tokayev “construct” the image of Central Asia in their official rhetoric. Despite the significant interest in regionalism, the way the presidents of the two countries represent the Central Asian identity in their official rhetoric remains underexplored. The discursive analysis and changes in rhetoric in the speeches of the two leaders from 2016 to 2025 were examined to address this existing gap. The result of the analysis demonstrated that Uzbekistan uses a shared historical memory and promotes cultural unity as the foundation of regional identity. Kazakhstan instead adheres to pragmatic cooperation and promotes itself as a responsible and active regional actor. Since 2022, both countries have increasingly emphasized sovereignty and regional selfdetermination in the context of geopolitical instability. By examining how identity is formed “from above,” this work contributes to understanding the political significance of today’s Central Asia and highlights the role of discourse in shaping regional unity in the post-Soviet space.