Kyrgyz journalist studies U.S. media at UM

By Rachel Honrud
J-School Web Reporter

Fulbright Scholar Kuban Taabaldiev has been working since November in the basement of 730 Eddy, which houses the Radio-Television Department on the University of Montana campus. He is not teaching journalism, but rather is researching it. 

“I want to implement information I will get here to Kyrgyz media,” said Taabaldiev, a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asia country. His research is entitled “Rural Area Media in the United States.”

Taabaldiev said Kyrgyzstan, formerly a part of the Soviet Union, is having a difficult time transitioning to democracy. Freedom of media and speech are part of this difficult transition,  he said.

“My focus is freedom of media in Central Asia,” Taabaldiev said.

The level of journalism in Kyrgyzstan “is not good enough to be a good professional there,” he said. “That’s why we need more experience and good connections with media people from abroad.”

Taabaldiev is making these connections via meetings with people in the media. He said it’s been easy for him to get interviews with television media, but he hasn’t gotten much information on the print and online media, about which he’s interested in learning more.

photo by Lizz Rauff

Fulbright Scholar Kuban Taabaldiev is studying rural media in the U.S.

Taabaldiev’s desire to learn from other nations is just what inspired the Fulbright Program when it was established in 1946.  It is an international educational program that was created to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries…” according to the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Web site. The program was named after then-Sen. William Fulbright of Arkansas.

The prestigious awards provide “Fulbrighters” the “opportunity to observe each others' political, economic, educational and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas and to embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants,” the Web site reads.

“For me it’s an excellent chance to get more teaching skills in journalism,” Taabaldiev said. He is “trying to get more fresh and unusual things in American media and to bring it back to Kyrgyzstan and use it there,” he said.

Taabaldiev is not the only one in his family who is learning from this experience.  His wife and 12-year-old son, who is on the basketball team at Washington Middle School, are with him in Missoula. He said both are finding the visit beneficial to their English language skills. Taabaldiev also has a daughter, 24, who remained in Kyrgyzstan with her family.

Along with his research and son’s basketball games, Taabaldiev said he is trying to get his driver’s license. 

Taabaldiev taught journalism at Kyrgyz-Turkish University in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, the official name of Kyrgyzstan, for four years. He then became the head of the Kyrgyz national news agency known as “Kabar,” for eight years, at which point he received a Fulbright Scholar award.

Professor Ray Ekness, R-TV Department chair, said he is benefiting from having Taabaldiev in Montana. He said he never thought he’d learn so much about Central Asia. 

“I’m trying to help him out as much as I can,” Ekness said, citing helping Taabaldiev get from place to place until he gets his driver’s license. “It’s just been really nice having Kuban around.” 

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