Andrei Bastunets: Threats to non-state media demonstrate the weakness of the authorities

Instead of resolving “painful” issues, the authorities are looking for those guilty in “wrong” quoting of the authorities, marks the Chair of the Belarusan Association of Journalists (BAJ).

Let us recall that the head of the Information Ministry Lilia Ananich stated about the readiness to issue warnings to mass media for misleading information. She said about it on air of the “Club of Editors” program on Belarus-1 TV channel during the discussion of the statements made by the Vice PM Natalia Kachanava, who said they “they earn as much as they work” referring to doctors, as well as called for the coaches to normally respond to the salary of 1.3 million rubles (about $60) a month since they are “sovereign people”.

As Andrei Bastunets, the Chair of the Belarusan Association of Journalists (BAJ), told to the “EuroBelarus” Information Service, “we should make a return step in the near future”. He finds it to be too early to reveal the essence of the step, though mentions that both the BAJ and the journalist community will try “to reach the authorities, as well as those who allegedly belong to our community (the participants of the “Club of Editors”) with our opinion”.

According to Andrei Bastunets, commanding tone, call for working for the good of the state in a difficult situation, threats to "anti-state" journalism from the people who also identify themselves as journalists "is a demonstration of a certain place in the state pyramid or, rather, state vertical." "Everything that they have been saying is very indirectly related to journalism. Unfortunately, the fact that we are talking about it and the fact that it is being discussed in the independent media and social media might be playing in their favor, since now this program that no one has probably watched before is googled so that to learn about such state view on journalism. Although, one can rather see the moral image of the contemporary than to learn about what is going on. However, this move will remain in history - well, after a while it will be possible to return to the program and simply ask the participants: "What was it about?" - says Andrei Bastunets.

Quotes from Lilia Ananich’s speech:

"The Internet is trying to become a mass medium. It has created a phenomenon: reporters take statements out of context and present them they way their edition needs”

“When journalists are using catchy titles to attract readers, journalism gets perverted. This is not journalism, this is not a professional approach and it is destructive”

Ananich also recalled the recent beating of the tut.by journalist Pavel Dabravolsky in Frunzenski district court.

“We received an official response from the Ministry of the Interior, which clearly indicates a violation of law and proves that measures taken against the participants of the incident were legal. A journalist cannot be an active party of the conflict. If such thing happens, it’s not journalism but an action aimed at discrediting the profession”.