Media Representations of SMEs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: A Comparative Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68081/svd03t98Keywords:
small and medium-sized enterprise, media framing, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, state-business relations, economic development, public discourseAbstract
This article examines how online newspapers represented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan between 2020 and 2023. It investigates the economic and social roles attributed to SMEs, the visibility given to different actors, and the relationships between private enterprises and the state. The study employs comparative qualitative content and framing analysis of 187 newspaper articles, comprising 113 articles concerning Kazakhstan and 74 concerning Uzbekistan. Each article was assigned one primary content category and dominant codes covering SME roles, actor visibility, state-SME relationship, policy objectives, responsibility attribution, and temporal context. The findings reveal a state-centered representation of SME development in both countries. Government officials and agencies received greater visibility than entrepreneurs, while regulation and government assistance were more prominent than market autonomy. According to Kazakhstan’s coverage, SMEs were more frequently portrayed as vulnerable and affected by regulatory, financial, logistical, and external pressures. Uzbek coverage placed greater emphasis on government support programs and representation of SMEs as recipients of assistance within economic reform. The study concludes that newspaper coverage in both countries positioned SMEs as economically important actors, but still closely connected to government. The analysis contributes to research on the public role of SMEs in Central Asia by demonstrating how media discourse is constructed within different national and temporal contexts.
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