Opinions & Interviews
Lukashenko wants state media to be faster, more exciting, creative
MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – At the meeting with heads of the country’s biggest state-run media outlets on 11 February, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that he expects state-owned media to be more exciting and fast and to produce more content of their own, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that broadcasters often lack intensity and fast response. In addition to that, it is high time they shifted away from foreign platforms. “Not everything these platforms offer are of good quality. We need more television content of our own. When they tell me that Markov [Chairman of the Board of the Second National TV Channel (ONT TV channel) Marat Markov] heavily utilizes the platform of ORT, I just cannot understand it. Our space, our television, our TV set, our ONT channel (which is not bad) – we need to finally realize that this is ours. If someone wants to operate here, let them do it, but on the same terms as we do it abroad. Pay money, get a permission, let us see your product and we will decide whether we will use it or not. This is your primary task,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Print media outlets should sharpen their focus on analytics in order to stay afloat, the Belarusian president believes. “Of course, we have always been and will be impartial. However, we should reach out to everyone with our news, our fair position and we should be heard by everyone. We have nothing to be ashamed of, though sometimes we are. We are working for our country and our people. Thanks God, we have dropped the attitude that dominated the media setting after the collapse of the Soviet Union and in the mid-1990s when all journalists were divided into two groups – ‘ours’ and ‘not ours’. If you told the truth from the standpoint of the government you were branded as an enemy, as alien. It is not like that anymore. You compete with them on an equal footing. If you say something about the president, no one will be able to demonize you and call you a rascal who is involved in propaganda to stay in power and line their pockets and the pockets of their milieu. However, this does not mean that you can go into rhapsodies about the president. One should act in a businesslike manner. We should do it shoulder to shoulder supporting, complementing and enhancing each other. You should not rest on your laurels and lose momentum. Time is changing fast,” the Belarusian leader said.
In his words, today the internet is not just breathing down the neck of state-run printed press, the internet is ahead of it in a number of ways. Telegram-channels, blogs, social networks have become as influential as conventional mass media. “They dominate the media landscape among the youth. Nearly everyone, from a child to an elderly person has a mobile phone with the internet access. These materials are available to them any time of the day. Our media outlets should increase their presence in the internet. What has already been done here and what are your plans for the future?” the head of state asked.
In addition to that, the president is convinced that a talented journalist can and should become an opinion leader. “This is a rare thing. Today the image of any media outlet should be shaped by original journalism. We need new faces, interesting personalities and themes. You should be talented and convincing while delivering information,” he said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko asked about the general assessment of the situation in the media landscape and asked the media chiefs about their plans and vision of the future of the media outlets they run. “Let’s skip formal reports and have an open and frank discussion of issues,” he suggested.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
