With Documentary Makers of Central Asia & the Caucauses (DOCA), a special project of Adamdar/CA, we tell important, beautiful, and poignant stories. We also assist colleagues and novice creators by compiling the experiences, strategies and values of the best documentarians, journalists, and storytellers from around the world.
In this video, Lukpan Akhmedyarov shares his understanding of journalism’s mission and principles, reflects on the rough drafts of history and digital footprints, discusses how a journalist’s work has changed the post-truth era, and gives technological and safety advice.
Video can be a useful medium for documentary filmmakers, civic activists, freelance journalists, and storytellers.
Lukpan Akhmedyarov is a journalist, civic activist, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Uralskaya Nedelya (Uralsk Week), and creator and author of documentaries. He is one of the best journalists in the country, a living symbol of professionalism and civic courage within the independent media of Kazakhstan.
Akhmedyarov has held several civil campaigns in defense of rights and freedoms. He was repeatedly subjected to provocations, unconstitutional detentions and arrests. He survived an assassination attempt. For civil courage and protection of the principles of independent journalism, Akhmedyarov received the Peter Mackler Award, awarded by the international human rights organization Reporters Without Borders.
Lukpan Akhmedyarov spoke with Adamdar/CA and shared his thoughts about his childhood and first steps in journalism, and about his city and his country (read the story here).
Video timecodes:
00:00–00:35 Intro
00:35–03:02 About his work, competencies and mission of a journalist, rough drafts of history and digital footprints, impartiality in a state of emergency
03:03–03:47 On traditional and new issues in journalism
03:48–04:30 On working in the post-truth era
04:31–05:35 On principles and values
05:36–06:32 Mission of the newspaper “Uralsk Week”
06:33–08:12 What should an author always have in his bag and in his heart?
08:12–09:31 On creativity and craft. The principles of creativity.
09:32–12:32 On the principles and safety of a journalist. His 2012 assassination attempt. How to protect yourself and information.
12:33–15:46 On the motives for the murders of journalists. About threats and assassination attempts. The importance of transparency.
15:47–17:57 On the importance of knowledge of laws and dialogues with the police
