SUSTAINED MEDIA COVERAGE IN JUNE; GREATER ACCURACY IN STATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000734 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA/CEN (SNELSIRE); SCA/PPD (KAMP) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ENRG TX SUBJECT: SUSTAINED MEDIA COVERAGE IN JUNE; GREATER ACCURACY IN STATE MEDIA ASHGABAT 00000734 001.2 OF 002 REFTEL: (A) Ashgabat 587, (B) Ashgabat 662, (C) Ashgabat 697 SUMMARY ¶1. (SBU) State media gave thorough, positive coverage on all high-level U.S. visits, but as usual ignored smaller programs or events. International media drew heavily from Turkmenistan state media sources for their own reporting in June, but provided different interpretations of the same information. International media reports consistently revolved around gas pipelines, despite the fact that the CENTOM Cmd. Fallon and EUR DAS Feigenbaum visits focused on different issues. State media ignored the U.S. Embassy border security equipment donation to the State Border Service of Turkmenistan. A state print outlet refused to let one of its own journalists publish an article on the U.S.-funded FLEX high school exchange program. END SUMMARY. HIGH LEVEL VISITS RECEIVE GOOD COVERAGE ¶2. (SBU) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Steven Mann and his delegation's visit on May 31 attracted accurate and positive coverage from both state and international media in June. State media covered Mann's meeting with President Berdimuhammedov and carried his emphasis on U.S. interest in the related issues of gas pipeline development and improving the investment climate in Turkmenistan (reftel A). ¶3. (SBU) CENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon's visit on June 20 failed to gather the usual negative media coverage from Russian sources on security visits. However, international media articles neutrally framed the meeting in the context of a Russian-American power struggle in the region. Most international media based their articles on state sources and the highly detailed security article by C.J. Chivers of the New York Times. State media focused on the domestic concerns of counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, and border security. Although state media were overwhelmingly positive towards Fallon's visit, they reinforced their neutrality status and desire to co-exist peacefully with their neighbors (reftel B). ¶4. (SBU) International media failed to cover Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan Feigenbaum's June 25 visit focused on the SIPDIS multi-dimensional bilateral relationship with Turkmenistan. Instead, the possible Trans-Caspian Pipeline was the primary focus in international coverage. State media favorably covered numerous aspects of his visit and detailed the different goals of the visit in a positive fashion, even giving separate, substantial attention to Feigenbaum's attendance at an official burning of illegal drugs (reftel C). DONATION OF TRUCKS RECEIVES MINIMAL COVERAGE ¶5. (U) On June 7, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty used excerpts from an embassy press release to accurately report that the U.S. government donated five mobile trucks and radio communications equipment, worth $250,000, to Turkmenistan's border-protection service, as part of ongoing programs to stop the spread of narcotics and weapons of mass destruction. State media gave no coverage; there was no other observed coverage. STATE WEBSITE HIGHLIGHTS FLEX PROGRAM; STATE PRINT REJECTS ¶6. (U) On June 4, Turkmenistan's official website "Turkmenistan Golden Age" (Russian, English) posted an article on the May 27 ceremony recognizing finalists of the FLEX high school exchange program. Daily "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 39,091) staff writer Viktoriya Novikova, who frequently covers education issues, attended the event on her own initiative in support of President Berdimuhammedov's positive statements on international educational ASHGABAT 00000734 002.2 OF 002 exchanges. The article stated that the 14th group of FLEX finalists would travel to United States to "discover the wonderful country of America" in July and August. The article accurately explained the FLEX program, its background in Turkmenistan, and its recruitment process, as well as the U.S.-government role. In particular the article accurately reported that ACCELS had implemented the FLEX program since 1993 within the framework of cooperation between the United States and Turkmenistan. Unfortunately, the article never made it into print editions of state papers. (NOTE: Journalists say that posting articles on government websites is easier. Given that the majority of the local population has no access to the internet there are lower censorship concerns. According to Novikova, the editor-in-chief prevented publication of her article due to her positive view of the United States. In most cases, the stories that support the president's policies appear in the media. END NOTE.) COMMENT ¶7. (SBU) Overall media coverage in June was positive with favorable coverage of official visits in state media. International media relied heavily on state sources for their own reporting and tended to spin many events towards gas pipeline issues. Nonetheless, international coverage was generally neutral or positive. Yet censorship or simple lack of coverage for successful, popular, and cooperative security or education programs (paras. 5 and 6) reveals the continued, directed nature of state news media during June. These events did not have an obvious ?blessing? from the highest authorities. Although the volume of positive coverage of U.S. Government events has recently been high in state media, the covered events directly and obviously coincide with President Berdimuhammedov's agenda. There is still limited diversity in state media reporting. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND