U.Matskevich: One should counter the regime’s PR-technologies technologically as well

A press conference with Alexander Lukashenko’s participation, held for the Russian media, allows maintaining the image of a stable and prosperous Belarus for the neighboring countries’ inhabitants.

This opinion was expressed by the head of the Board of the International Consortium EuroBelarus, Chairperson of the Interim Coordination Committee of the Belarusan National Platform of EaP Civil Society Forum Uladzimir Matskevich.

He noted that while holding the press conference, Belarusan president exploits some public relations’ modes and technologies.

"There is no simple objective informing through the media. In addition to informing, every time the media creates a certain image, impression, forms the public opinion. And this is necessary to work with, this is what the Belarusan president does", said Uladzimir Matskevich.

"What does effectively come out, is a matter of taste, tact and sense of measure of the one who does it. Certainly, both the Belarusan president and pubic relation officers working at his request at times, but, in general, always have neither taste nor measure", considers the head of the EuroBelarus’ Board.

"Working on that user, on that part of the electorate, which he is very interested to attract, Lukashenko has been engaging journalists, able to reach this part of the electorate with the right information. These press tours are a part of such work. Herewith, it must be said that this work has been quite effective. And in the eyes of the Russian public, of readers, listeners Lukashenko succeeds to create an image of a prosperous Belarus, the country where he has managed to maintain order, stability, and other positive characteristics", said Uladzimir Matskevich.

Maintaining the positive image of Belarus, he noted, has been possible for many years already. "Thus, what is being done is quite effective from the president’s point of view. If we do not like something, then we differ in taste, we see the world differently", said Uladzimir Matskevich.

He stressed that "if we do not just want to indulge in aesthetic or logical critique of what the Belarusan president and the regime do under the PR-technologies, but rather want also to counter this with something, we need to do the same thing as technologically and persistently as the regime does".

"Countering the actions of the authorities is possible only with media-programs, similar in strength, comprehensiveness, scale, and investment. If we don’t have such programs, then we can only grumble and show discontent. This is what we have enough, but we lack perseverance, patience, knowledge, PR-technologies ", considers the head of the Board of the EuroBelarus.

"Often such funds as human strength, talent and organizational efforts are wasted in vain; small independent sites, newspapers, radio stations abroad, even a television company, have been created. But these all act separately, they act not under the PR-technologies, but in the framework of a superficial understanding of journalism as an objective informing without engaging in ideological war against the regime. So currently, all the actions of independent, democratic journalism are ineffective", suggested Uladzimir Matskevich.