The Ethics of Journalism and Public Relations in the Context of Development of Social Media in Kazakhstan.

Abstract

Social media have brought the country’s media industry to a new level over last years and have caused changing of traditional communication patterns between organizations and their audiences. This article aims to analyze potential of social media as a new direct communications tool with regard to its positive impact on journalism and PR ethics in Kazakhstan, with particular focus on the issue of “seller-buyer” relationships between journalists and organizations. Firstly, a brief introduction into the background of Kazakh media sector and the key social, historical and economic factors that have influenced it, will be provided. Secondly, the issue of paid materials and major reasons behind that, including the Soviet heritage of Kazakh media and propaganda phenomenon, will be outlined. Further, current application of social media and the role of traditional media in public relations will be discussed. Major obstacles to formation of social media as a full-fledged communication channel, such as «digital divide», will be explored next. Discussion of the subject in the article is based on relevant modern theories on new media, supported by interviews with PR practitioners from various industries, analysis of media materials, and the own practical experience of the authors in PR sector in Kazakhstan.