Uzbek journalist visits Ball State University

Navbahor Imamova has been invested in the journalism world since she was 11 years old. She was working for children’s programs in Uzbekistan. When Imamova was 17 years old, she was able to get a scholarship for a journalism program in a school in India. Later when she was getting her master’s, Imamova came to Ball State University. Afterwards, she was hired by Voice of America, an international broadcasting outlet funded by the US Congress. Imamova specifically focuses on stories in Central Asia.

“We bring credible news sources to countries with deprived news sources,” Imamova said. “They were extending their broadcast to Uzbekistan which is the heart of Central Asia. They hired me as an Uzbekistan broadcaster.”

Although Imamova interacts with many different types of governments, she describes that it doesn’t matter what area of journalism you are in, it’s difficult to have any doors open for you because you are a journalist. She discussed some tips on how to talk with people who seem hesitant on talking with journalists.

“You have to be considerate, curious and ethical. Being prepared when going into any situation is also important.”

Imamova, through her many years of experience, expresses that a journalist’s main job is to be objective. She explained that journalists are not activists, their job is to present the facts of the story. Not everything is so black and white. The world is very complex and it is the journalist’s job to show how complex the world really is. When presenting both sides of the story people are able to form their own opinions on the situation accurately.

Contact Andie Zelaya with comments at andie.zelaya@bsu.edu