16:10, 15 августа 2019, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency
Staff of Aprel TV channel addressed the media and expert community of Kyrgyzstan today.
«Dear colleagues, over the days that have passed since the channel was blocked, we received tremendous support from you, starting with warm words and ending with job offers to our employees. There was even a call on the Web for a rally in support of freedom of speech in Kyrgyzstan and resumption of Aprel work. Not only support, but also a fair assessment of our work, is important for us now. Our channel is called propagandist, a mouthpiece of Almazbek Atambayev; opinions about venality and total control are heard. Most often, these opinions are not substantiated and not supported by any arguments,» the text of the appeal says.
The Aprel team asks the media community, experts, to respond and conduct an objective analysis of their content.
Aprel has always positioned itself as an alternative channel that provides an opportunity to speak out to those who are denied access to state-controlled media. We have shown that others will never show.
From the appeal of the channel’s staff
«Thus, our task has always been the maintenance of the information balance, which, due to the tight control of the state over the information field, has been significantly disrupted in Kyrgyzstan. At the same time, we have never neglected the demand for a balance of opinions. We have provided and are ready to provide a platform for representatives of different positions that do not contradict the laws of Kyrgyzstan and common sense,» the statement says.
Criticism of founder Almazbek Atambayev has been repeatedly heard on the air of Aprel TV. His opponents freely spoke from the screen of our channel. This applied not only to live broadcasts, but also to recorded interviews, from which the words of criticism have never been removed.
From the appeal of the channel’s staff
«This has always been our position. There have not been and will not be taboo people and topics. We were given the opportunity to shape our own agenda, choose topics and presentation formats. It is very difficult for colleagues to believe it, but it is a fact. The journalistic community of Kyrgyzstan is a circle of close associates. It’s hard to fool anyone here. Objectivity is an unattainable value that the media will never be able to achieve. Journalists are people who pass information through the prism of their consciousness and experience. But we have always been and will be honest to ourselves and our audience,» the appeal stresses.