She started her journalism career in early 1990s at a television station and newspapers in Almaty. In 2007, she joined &lt;a href="Radio%20Free%20Europe/Radio%20Liberty"&gt;Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty&lt;/a&gt;. She started reporting on strikes by workers in the oil and natural gas sectors in 2008, upon what she saw as the insufficient coverage of these issues by local press. This led to her being persecuted, for instance, her car was chased until her driver crashed and she had to return through her own means in a remote area. She covered the aftermath of the Zhanaozen massacre, which drew further reaction, accusations and the publishing of her phone number by the local press in Atyrau, forcing her to move.