In October, the channel posted a story about the KIMEP Student Association debates with the headline “KSA Open Mic: White Noise.” The half-editorial and half news story caused a micro-storm of controversy for the more than 1,000 followers of the channel.
Some accused the author of taking cheap shots at the KSA and hiding behind their monitor in an unnamed story. Others said the author was spot on with its coverage.
“I suppose that anonymity is some kind of protection from hate,” said Tomiriskhon Yusupova, a second-year student.
Samat Adilov, a second-year student, said that anonymity is what adds mystery to the channel and objectivity from the readers’ side.
As small, mobile, and often anonymous news sites attempt to cover news by casting aside many journalistic norms and replacing them with news and a slice of opinion, readers react. But now, the founder of KIMEP Days has revealed himself on the site as he announced he will be stepping down from it, though not entirely leaving.
Ismet Jumabay, a second-year KIMEP student, has gained 1,044 subscribers on the KIMEP Days telegram channel as of last week. He has seen both praise and criticism of his work, which began in August at KIMEP Days.
“Admin, delete the channel, you are the yellow press,” said one commenter.
“People who do not live in the dormitory have no right to speak”, said another commenter under the post “Madness in the Dormitory,” which became one of the most commented posts for Jumabay.
Jumabay said the dorm post was written by one of the two other KIMEP Days editors, living in the dormitory and interviewed dormitory administrators and dormitory elders, who preferred to keep their anonymity. He only published the post.
“Regarding comments: when it comes to comments, people turn off any filter, saying completely inappropriate things, even using direct insults toward me through fake accounts that have no number, user, nickname, or any information to identify who is writing this,” said Jumabay. “Meanwhile, they call me a coward and accuse me of getting personal.”
Indeed, KIMEP Days has outraged some readers.
“I think his writing style might offend someone,” said one commenter.
“Admin, you’re just expressing your opinion, there’s no explicitness in your posts,” said another commenter.
However, Aruzhan Amangeldi, a fourth-year student, said she doesn’t find his posts lack objectivity, they remain captivating and engaging.
Jumabay said he chooses his words carefully, and posts about the debates did stir up emotions for some readers..
“I attended these debates with my editor; what we saw and wrote in the post is the absolute truth,” said Jumabay.
The debates were held in the Valikhanov chill room with poor sound support, multiple technical issues, and some candidates did not even show up, he said. Jumabay said he thought it was unprofessional and disrespectful, so his post may have seemed emotional to some readers of the channel.
Jumabay used his anonymity to avoid KIMEP’s administration identifying him because of any misunderstandings.
But eventually, some students told the administration Jumabay ran the KIMEP Days so he saw no reason to continue hiding his identity, and he included his contact details and email on the channel.
While other news outlets cover KIMEP, Jumabay said they were insufficient and most student voices were not heard. Yes, he said, some students used the student association and government to talk to the administration, but most students didn’t know how to do this or had the time to do so. So, he created KIMEP Days.
“I want students’ voices to be heard in the easiest and most convenient way for them,” said Jumabay.
Adilov also said Telegram might be one of the reasons for the rapid success of KIMEP Days instead of other social media platforms.
Instagram is not quite a convenient platform for posting long texts, Jamabay said. It is more about 10-second short videos.
Telegram, on the other hand, provides anonymity not only for the channel owner but also for students, who can express their opinions and leave reactions under posts, which still remain anonymous, he said.
The post “KIMEP Database – Frightening Indifference,” about the lack of information security, was directly related to him, as someone attempted to hack into his KIMEP account..
After the incident, Jumabay surveyed 18-19 ID part-time students, revealing that KIMEP staff and professors can easily access student information, and part-time students still retain database passwords, while his Telegram account was also targeted for hacking.
“This, of course, caused dissatisfaction and misunderstanding on my part, but later I realized that it was part of my job,” said Jumabay.
After his post about information insecurity, the database was restricted, and even the Dean of Student Affairs, Joseph Luke was informed about it.
KIMEP Days’ posts often provoke discussions and even conflicts in the comments: some say he crosses the line and may hurt someone, while others say that he is not officially assigned as a university representative and is right.
Jumabay sees these discussions under the comments as a natural part of student life and freedom of speech, he said. None of his publications attack anyone personally or encourage others to insult anyone.
“I just say and write what students need to know,” said Jumabay. “And I speak based on facts, without getting personal.”
Despite heated comments about KIMEP Days Telegram channel, there are students who want it around.
“I would miss the timely posts and relevance because there are no other sources like KIMEP Days,” said Amangeldy.
Handing the role to another student, Jumabay said, he leaves thinking he did a fair job despite what his critics say.
The new admin will leave their own imprint on the channel, though Jumabay will still offer advice, suggest coverage, and other ideas. But overall, writing all the posts will be done by someone else. If any problems arise, he said, he will try to help.
While Jumabay said he thinks he had an impact on the KIMEP community, he added that his lack of training made his job more difficult. Not being a journalist, he had difficulty conducting interviews, communicating with the administration, and verifying information. Moreover, he was upset by the attitude of some students using fake accounts, leaving negative comments online, while in real life, they acted differently, even asking him to promote their events.
“Everything hidden eventually becomes clear,” he said.
“But with a clear conscience, if I’m being completely honest, without any extra context, I created this channel to support the student community,” he said. “I achieved this goal – 1000 audience members and the resolution of many issues. Rumors, gossip, fake information – that’s what went through me as the admin of KIMEP Days, so I want students and administrators to think a thousand times before doing anything like that.”
He said that if someone really wants changes in their life or student life, it’s never too late to act.
“I have not wronged anyone, and most importantly – not myself,” he said. “KIMEP Days, in three and a half months, has done a lot to help students and will continue to do so, I am sure of it.”