Government Press
Tajikistan’s print media remains firmly in the hands of the state, with Jumhuriyat, Khalq Ovozi, Narodnaya Gazeta, and Sadoi Mardum emerging as the most prominent titles.
Media assets
Publishing: Jumhuriyat, Khalq Ovozi, Narodnaya Gazeta, Sadoi Mardum, Minbari Halq
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
These publications operate under tightly controlled government oversight. Jumhuriyat is owned and published by the Presidency of Tajikistan. Sadoi Mardum falls under the ownership of the Parliament. Khalq Ovozi, an Uzbek-language newspaper, is also state-run and published by the Parliament. While Narodnaya Gazeta isn’t itemized in recent ownership breakdowns, it’s acknowledged as government-owned. This structure reinforces the state’s dual role of both governance and authorship in print media operations, aligning with prior insights attributing control to the Ministry of Culture or equivalent bodies.
Source of funding and budget
Local experts and journalists interviewed for this report in March 2023, May 2024 and March 2025 confirmed that the Tajik government press is entirely state-funded. However, no public information is available regarding the specifics of this government press financing.
Editorial independence
Most of the state-run print media in Tajikistan promote the government’s interests and policies. Their editorial stance is closely aligned with government messaging, with little to no space allocated for dissenting voices or opposition perspectives. The dominance of these state outlets has deep roots: several were established via presidential decree or have long histories dating back to Soviet times. No domestic statute or independent assessment establishing the editorial independence of the Tajik state print media has been identified.
August 2025