Elira Turdubaeva

CV

Dr. Elira Turdubaeva is a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Research Center for Eastern Europe, University of Bremen (2025-2026), where she is investigating Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine on social media in Central Asia.

Dr. Turdubaeva’s research focuses on digital authoritarianism, information warfare, and media systems in authoritarian contexts, with particular expertise in Central Asian media and communication. She was a Fulbright Scholar (2024-2025) and has conducted funded research for UNESCO, OSCE, and UNDP on topics including online violence against women journalists, media development indicators, and social media ecosystems in Central Asia.

Dr. Turdubaeva is multilingual (English, Turkish, Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Uzbek) and has published extensively, including co-editing Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia (Lexington Books, 2023), alongside 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and 14 book chapters. She has delivered training to thousands of educators, journalists, and media professionals across Central Asia on topics including AI literacy, media literacy, and digital journalism.

Research focus

Information Warfare & Digital Authoritarianism: Russian propaganda analysis, surveillance technologies, disinformation campaigns in Central Asia.

• Media Freedom & Authoritarian Governance: Press freedom, censorship, state-media relations in hybrid regimes
• Conflict & Peace Studies: Media and regional conflicts, hate speech, online violence against journalists
• Political Communication: Social media activism, electoral politics, protest movements, digital mobilization
• AI & Digital Transformation: AI in education and journalism, algorithmic governance, platform power
• Social Media & Platform Politics: Network analysis, youth engagement, content moderation, digital nationalism
• Gender & Migration: Media representation, women journalists, intersectional digital rights

Publications:

Journal Articles

Kelly, S., Croucher, S. M., Kim, K. Y., Permyakova, T., Turdubaeva, E., Eskiçorapçı, N., Stanalieva, G., Orunbekov, B. & Winchester, D. (2024). A Multi-Nation Validation Portfolio for a Willingness to Communicate Measure. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 53(3–4), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2024.2424301

Croucher, S. M., Kelly, S., Rahmani, D., Burkey, M., Subanaliev, T., Galy-Badenas, F., Lando, A. L., Chibita, M., Nyiransabimana, V., Turdubaeva, E., Eskiçorapçı, N. & Jackson, K. (2020). A multi-national validity analysis of the self-perceived communication competence scale. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2019.1569250

Croucher, S. M., Kelly, S., Rahmani, D., Jackson, K., Galy-Badenas, F., Lando, A., Chibita, M., Nyiranasbimana, V., Turdubaeva, E., Eskiçorapçı, N., Condon, S., M., Stanalieva, G. & Orunbekov, B. (2019). A multi-national validity analysis of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24). Annals of the International Communication Association, 43(3), 193–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2019.1602783

Subanaliev, T., Croucher, S., Turdubaeva, E., & Kelly, S. (2018). An exploratory analysis of argumentativeness in Kyrgyzstan. Russian Journal of Communication, 10(1), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1080/19409419.2017.1399084

Turdubaeva, E. (2014). Political parties and interest groups members’ patterns of social network site usage in Kyrgyzstan. Styles of Communication, 6(1), 170–190. https://journals.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/communication/article/view/2539

Turdubaeva, E. (2013). Communicating with voters in social networks: The case of 2011 Presidential Elections in Kyrgyzstan. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(9), 482–491. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n9p482

Edited Volumes

E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), (2023) Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Book Chapters

Turdubaeva, E. & Papoutsaki, E., (2023). Introduction: Mapping the Communicative Ecology of Central Asia Media: Emerging Trends and Persisting Issues. In E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Toktogulova, M., & Turdubaeva, E. (2023). Representation of Islam and Muslims in Kyrgyz Media. In E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Turdubaeva, E. & Papoutsaki, E., (2023). Community Media in Kyrgyzstan and their Role in Strengthening Remote Communities’ Agency. In E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Al-Rawi, A., Inoyatova, T., Turdubaeva, E. & Papoutsaki, E., (2023). Mapping Social Media in Kyrgyzstan. In E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Al-Rawi, A., Nocolai, J., Inoyatova, T., Turdubaeva, E., Bekturgan kyzy, T. & Papoutsaki, E.,  (2023). Mediated Public Diplomacy targeting Kyrgyzstan. In E. Turdubaeva & E. Papoutsaki (Eds.), Mapping the Media and Communication Landscape of Central Asia: an anthology of contemporary and emerging issues. Lexington Books. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/mapping-the-media-and-communication-landscape-of-central-asia-9781978779594/

Turdubaeva, E. (2021). Regional Media in Kyrgyzstan: Between State Propaganda and Local Voices. In Rethinking Media and Socio-Cultural Change: India and the Globe in Times of Pandemic. HP Hamilton Press. ISBN: 978-1913936204

​​Lehtisaari, K., & Turdubaeva, E. (2021). Kyrgyz press and influence of Russian media. In M. C. Minielli, M. N. Lukacovic, S. A. Samoilenko, M. R. Finch, & D. Uecker (Eds.), Media and public relations research in post-socialist societies. Chapter 8, Lexington Books. ISBN: 9781793607362.

Yavaşgel, E., & Turdubaeva, E. (2021). Digital culture and power. In E. Karadoğan Doruk, S. Mengü, & E. Ulusoy (Eds.), Digital siege (pp. 1–31). Istanbul University Press. https://doi.org/10.26650/B/SS07.2021.002.01

Lehtisaari, K., Burkhanov, A., Turdubaeva, E. & Pietiläinen, J. (2018). Framing of Crimean Annexation and Eastern Ukraine Conflict in Newspapers of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in 2014. In E. Resende et al. (Eds.), Crisis and Change in Post-Cold War Global Politics: Ukraine in a Comparative Perspective. pp. 181-201. ISBN: 978-3-319-78589-9. Palgrave. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-78589-9

Turdubaeva, E., & Zelenskaya, A. (2018). Media portrayal of migration from Central Asia. In S. M. Croucher, J. R. Caetano, & E. A. Campbell (Eds.), Companion to Migration, Communication, and Politics. Taylor & Francis. Print ISBN: 9781138058149, eBook ISBN: 9781315164472. https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Migration-Communication-and-Politics/Croucher-Caetano-Campbell/p/book/9781138058149

Publications without peer review process

Costa Buranelli, F., Turdubaeva, E., Tiulegenov, M., & Fumagalli, M. (2021). Voice(s) during the Covid-19 pandemic: The case of Kyrgyzstan. The Transatlantic Puzzle.

https://mecacs.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/publications/

Turdubaeva, E. (2020). Media landscape in Kyrgyzstan: Caught between elite capture and control of political and business interests. In “Retreating Rights: Examining the pressure on human rights in Kyrgyzstan.” pp. 97-105 https://fpc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Retreating-Rights-Examining-the-pressure-on-human-rights-in-Kyrgyzstan.pdf

Research reports

Turdubaeva, E. (2018). The status of media and the role of social media in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Institute for War and Peace Reporting. https://iwpr.net/global-voices/print-publications/status-media-and-role-social-media-kazakhstan-kyrgyzstan

Turdubaeva, E. (2018). Content analysis of the representation of Central Asia, the Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova in the media of Kyrgyzstan in 2017. Institute for War and Peace Reporting. https://iwpr.net/global-voices/print-publications/content-analysis-representation-central-asia-caucasus-ukraine-and

Turdubaeva, E. (2018). The situation of civil society in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Institute for War and Peace Reporting. https://iwpr.net/global-voices/print-publications/situation-civil-society-kazakhstan-kyrgyzstan-tajikistan-and