Belarusan journalists discuss media freedom in Eastern Partnership countries

The report shows that though in 2013 Belarus has gone up in the ratings of the EaP countries, this happened only due to the drastic deterioration of media situation in the neighboring countries.

On April 18, a press conference took place at the office of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) with presentation of the report “Freedom of the media in Eastern Partnership Countries 2013” and the yearly monitoring report on mass media issues in Belarus.

The joint report “Freedom of the media in Eastern Partnership Countries 2013” was prepared by the international civil organization Internews-Ukraine. Media experts of each EaP country (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) filled in a questionnaire with questions related to media issues. The reporting period is March – December 2013.  The analytical report was prepared within a project “Monitoring of freedom of the media in Eastern Partnership countries” supported by the EU. Meanwhile, the contents of the report do not reflect any EU official standings.

This year Belarus has gone up in the ratings of the EaP countries, but this is only because of the drastic deterioration of media situation in neighboring countries, reports the press service of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

“With no changes in essence, Belarusian authorities look a little different at the background of the latest developments in Ukraine and Russia,” said Aliaksandr Starykevich, deputy chair of BAJ. “Does that mean they have become better? We just don’t have any crisis at the moment that would go out to the streets, so there is no a big need for extra tightening the screws.”

Negative tendencies of the past year and unpleasant incidents with independent media at the beginning of 2014 prove that there are no systemic changes for the better.

“At the end of the year we noticed how the authorities, in fact having regulated the traditional media, tried to take control over online, as well as publishing and even book distribution. Bloggers and netizens have got in the area of intense scrutiny,” remarked Andrei Bastunets, deputy chair and lawyer of BAJ.

According to Andrei Bastunets, false information has started to appear more frequently on the web coming from journalists as well about journalists. In April, journalists contributing to foreign media have been under pressure, as well as distributors of low-circulation press. A typical accusation is illegal production and distribution of mass media products.

“The most annoying thing is that recording a video story is understood as “illegal production”. Such interpretation of law is incorrect because a journalist is gathering and preparing information – a media product is produced by an editorial office… Surely, all the court decisions will be appealed against. I wonder why these cases in the regions have started in April,” said Andrei Bastunets.