The KZ.media team has announced a rebranding. This resource is now called ‘Respublika’.
As the editorial team has written on its Facebook page -
‘ A couple of months ago, we decided on a KZ.MEDIA rebranding. And, since our entire team are former ‘Respublikans’, the choice of the name was predestined.
So, basically, we are ‘Respublika’ again.
That very same one that many have known since 2002 - first, as a newspaper and then as an Internet-portal.
That very same one that used to write about Nazarbayev’s Swiss accounts and Kazakhgate, WikiLeaks, corruption in Akorda, events in Zhanaozen, to mention but a few.
That very same one that the authorities had persecuted via any means possible until they eventually shut it down completely".
Below is the statement from the journalists published on the media website.
‘ Today, March 18, 2022, we are launching KZ.media under a new (or, rather, old) title, ‘RESPUBLIKA’. We have brought back the name under which we have been known since the year 2000.
First, as a Kazakh newspaper ‘The Respublika Business Review.
It was launched on May 18, 2000; the last issue saw the light of day in 2012 when the authorities shut the newspaper down because it told truth about the execution of the oil workers and civilians in Zhanaozen.
Later, it reemerged as the the Respublika information-analytical portal.
The website was launched on September 18, 2008, and was quickly blocked in Kazakhstan, however, in spite of everything, it remained active until 2016.
There are several reasons why we have chosen to revive ‘Respublika.
Firstly, the time has come to rebrand KZ.MEDIA launched two and a half years ago since people have started confusing us with other Kazakh media. And, since all the journalists on our team are ‘Respublikans’ who used to work at either the newspaper or the portal one time or another, the choice of the name is by no means coincidental.
Secondly, the country is now at the casp of changes; the Nazarbayev clan that we have been standing against for the long and laborious 16 years is finally sinking into oblivion. So, we have decided that we cannot watch all this from the sidelines.
After all, shouldn’t Tokayev have his own ‘Respublika’?
Thirdly, the readers who know and remember us have long been asking to bring ‘Respublika’ back. However, if we were to launch the media under this title two and a half years ago when the Nazarbayev clan was still in power, the website would have been blocked.
So, ten years after the shutting down of the newspaper and six years after the closing of the portal, we are coming back to the Kazakh media-space.
As ‘RESPUBLIKA’.
To find us, you can now type RESPUBLIKA.kz.media in your browser, however, if you type KZ.MEDIA, you can also access our website. It will take several days to perform the technical works and rename the pages on social networks. In a couple of days, we will renew the About Us page on the portal and publish the history of ‘Respublika’.
Stay tuned!
We need your help!
Almost no independent press is left in Kazakhstan. In the past years, the Kazakh authorities have done everything in their power to either frighten those daring to write the truth or to ‘buy’ them via governmental contracts.
In these circumstances, the editorial teams independent from the authorities or the oligarchs can rely only on the support of their readers.
The editorial team of RESPUBLIKA (previously known as KZ.media) has never been controlled by either authorities or oligarchs. To us, there are no forbidden subjects, we write about what we consider important. BUT WE DO NEED YOUR HELP!
Help us tell you the TRUTH about WHAT REALLY MATTERS!
There are several other ways - you can find them here.
