Abstract
The study aimed to identify the peculiarities of coverage of invasive topics as media content in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. To study the specifics of environmental issues in Central Asian journalism, the method of analysis and the case method were used. The study identified the role of journalism in shaping environmental awareness. In particular, the study determined that journalistic materials influence public opinion and environmental policymaking. The research also included an analysis of environmental issues in the journalistic genres of Central Asia. The main environmental problems of the region, such as lack of water resources, environmental pollution, land degradation, etc. were identified. The study described the different genres used to cover these issues (analytical articles, investigative journalism, blogs, documentaries, etc.). Through the analysis of Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Uzbek journalism, the study determined that media resources effectively contribute to raising environmental awareness and mobilising civil society. In addition, an overview of international initiatives and projects to support environmental journalism and address environmental issues in the region was made, based on a comparative table of international initiatives was created and differences between the media strategies of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan were presented. The study also suggested that international experience should be adapted to local realities to systematically cover environmental issues on all media resources in the region: use of digitalisation, social media, interactive platforms, educational initiatives for journalists, attracting attention through opinion leaders (bloggers), development of independent media, cooperation with international environmental organisations, and use of data journalism.