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Mainstream media named as Belarusians’ top source of political news

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MINSK, 13 November (BelTA) – Belarusians mostly turn to Belarusian state-run media for political news, Director of the EcooM think tank Sergei Musiyenko told BelTA.

The respondents were asked "What sources do you turn to most often for political news". The breakdown was the following: 53.5% of respondents answered "Belarusian state-run media", 29.1% said "family, friends, and acquaintances", 28.2% replied "Russian media", 9.7% chose "Belarusian non-state media", 9.5% answered "other media", 5.7% replied "other sources", and 13.6% said “Not interested in political news”. The response percentage exceeds 100% because respondents could select multiple answers.

"Such a high level of trust in state-run news outlets shows that they have started to do a better job. Their efficiency has significantly increased. News stories have become more interesting. The agenda is extensive. There is a variety in the way content is presented: print media, television, the internet, and Telegram channels. All these elements are important," Sergei Musiyenko said.

The analyst noted that such a source of information as "family, friends, acquaintances" needs to be studied. "This is not the main source of information. This is the trust in communication between relatives and friends. People also began to communicate more at work. This is the first time we have discovered such a trend, and it needs to be further studied. This is encouraging, because people communicate with each other. They learn something and share it. In my opinion, this is a positive trend. That is great," he stressed.

"We also have such a category of people who are ’not interested in political news’. They are indifferent to politics. We must find ways to stir their interest. By the way, events such as the ‘Marathon of Unity’, the people's flash mob Nado! [You must] are reaching out to this group. This is an opportunity to engage these people through other channels of influence," Sergei Musiyenko added.

The sociological survey “Factors of sustainable development” was conducted by EcooM from 1 to 21 October 2024. The survey polled 1,580 people of different gender, age, educational attainments, place of residence and region. The margin of error is below 2.5%.

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