Editing Mass media in Belarus (section)

== Outlets ==

=== Agencies ===

By 2015, Belarus hosted nine news agencies, two state-owned and seven private. The most important were [[Belarusian Telegraph Agency|BelTA]] (Belarus' largest news agency, and the official state news agency for nearly 90 years), [[BelaPAN]] (a private news agency founded in 1991), and {{Interlanguage link multi|Interfax-West|be|3=Интерфакс-Запад}} (part of [[Interfax]], that operated in Belarus since 1994 and catered primarily to national and local media).<ref name=EJC/><ref name=MassMedia>[http://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/mass-media-in-belarus "Mass media in Belarus"], Belarus.by, the Official Website of the Republic of Belarus, January 2015</ref> 

As of 2023, only 7 agencies remained.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media
| title =Mass Media in Belarus
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus 
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref> Interfax-West ceased operations in Belarus on 1 January 2022, due to amendments made to the Law on Mass Media of the Republic of Belarus in May 2021{{efn|In particular, the amendments introduced the ban on posting the results of public opinion polls related to the socio-political situation, if conducted without obtaining the necessary accreditation. It was also prohibited to place hyperlinks to messages and materials containing information labeled as prohibited. In addition, the authorities to restrict access to Internet resources or stop the publication of media outlets were defined, and the possibility of withdrawing accreditation of journalists for certain violations was introduced.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://baj.media/ru/aglyady-manitoringi/smi-v-belarusi-v-2021-godu-0/
| title =СМИ в Беларуси в 2021 году
| language=ru
| trans-title = Media in Belarus 2021
| date =2022-04-04
| publisher =BAJ
| access-date =2024-03-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://tass.ru/obschestvo/13341939
| title =Агентство Интерфакс-Запад объявило о прекращении работы в качестве СМИ с 1 января
| date =2021-12-31
| publisher =TASS
| access-date =2024-03-04}}</ref>}}.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://www.interfax.ru/world/813680
| title ="Интерфакс-Запад" прекратил работу в Белоруссии с 1 января
| date =2022-01-01
| publisher =Interfax
| access-date =2024-03-04}}</ref> [[BelaPAN]] was declared extremist by the KGB, its editor-in-chief Irina Levshina and deputy director Andrey Aleksandrov were sentenced to 4 and 14 years in prison, respectively.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://baj.media/en/support-politically-incarcerated-journalists-irina-levshina-and-andrei-aleksandrov/
| title =Support for Politically Incarcerated Journalists Irina Levshina and Andrei Aleksandrov
| date =2022-10-31
| publisher =BAJ
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref><ref name=ecpmf/><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://belsat.eu/en/news/14-11-2021-kgb-declares-belapan-extremist-formation
| title =KGB declares BelaPAN extremist formation
| date =2021-04-09
| publisher =Belsat
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref>

=== Print media ===
{{main|List of newspapers in Belarus}}

As of September 2023, 921 printed publications were registered in Belarus.<ref name=president/> The majority of them are printed entirely in Russian,<ref name=languages>{{cite web
| url =https://baj.media/en/mediyaprava/top-belarusian-and-ukrainian-media-use-russian-language-lot-can-they-abandon-it/
| title =Top Belarusian and Ukrainian media use the Russian language a lot – can they abandon it?
| date =2022-10-04
| publisher = BAJ
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref> Russian newspapers [[Komsomolskaya Pravda]] (circulation of 203,000) and [[Argumenty i Fakty]] (120,000) are one of the most popular in Belarus.<ref name=belby>{{cite web
| url =https://www.belarus.by/en/about-belarus/mass-media-in-belarus
| title =Mass media in Belarus
| publisher = Belarus.by
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref><ref name=usov/> In Belarus, the subscription of the nationwide and regional state-run publications is compulsory for employees of any state institutions, such as schools, universities, offices, etc.<ref name=usov/>

The state-run ''Belarus Segodnya Publishing House'' is a media holding that publishes the five largest circulation newspapers: ''[[Belarus Today|Belarus Segodnya]]'' (circulation of 400,000), ''Respublika'' (published since 1991), ''Selskaya Gazeta'' (1921), ''Znamya Yunosti'' (1938), and ''[[Narodnaya Gazeta]]'' (1990).<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media/publishing-house-belarus-segodnya
| title =Belarus Segodnya Publishing House 
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus 
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref><ref name=usov>{{cite web
| url =https://journals.umcs.pl/we/article/download/8832/6125
| title =Characteristics of the Belarusian media system
| last =Usov
| first =Pavel
| date =2018
| publisher =East of Europe, vol. 4
| access-date =2024-03-18}}</ref><ref name=presBelarusSegodnya>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/statebodies/belarus-segodnya-publishing-house
| title =Belarus Segodnya Publishing House | publisher = President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref>

The state-run ''Zvyazda Publishing House'' was founded in 2012. The list of its publications includes the ''[[Zvyazda]]'' daily (circulation of 20,000), ''LiM'' newspaper, ''Alesya'', ''Polymya'', ''Nyoman'', ''Maladosts'', ''Rodnaya Pryroda'', and ''Vozhyk'' magazines.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media/publishing-house-zvyazda
| title =Zvyazda Publishing House
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref><ref name=usov/>

Among other state-controlled newspapers there are [[Holas Radzimy]], [[Vo Slavu Rodiny]], [[Zhodzinskiya Naviny]], [[Vecherniy Brest]], BelTA's ''7 dnej'' (circulation of 40,000), etc.<ref name=usov/> 

Many popular independent publications were closed by the authorities, including several that were truly independent: [[Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta]], [[Belorusy i rynok]], [[Hazeta Slonimskaya]], [[Narodnaja Volya (newspaper)|Narodnaja Volya]].<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://humanrightshouse.org/articles/closure-of-independent-daily-narodnaya-volya/
| title =Closure of independent daily Narodnaya Volya
| date =2005-10-18
| publisher =Human Rights Watch
| access-date =2024-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://rsf.org/en/supreme-court-ruling-threatens-survival-newspaper
| title =Supreme court ruling threatens survival of newspaper
| date =2004-06-02
| publisher =Reporters Without Borders
| access-date =2024-03-09}}</ref><ref name=usov/> Though even in 2018, before the infamous [[2020 Belarusian presidential election|2020 elections]] and subsequent crackdown of all independent media, the circulation of these newspapers hardly reached 8000.<ref name=usov/> Between 2020 and 2023, numerous newspapers were declared extremist: [[Novy Chas]], Rehianalnaya Gazeta ("Regional Newspaper"), [[Nasha Niva]], Intex-Press.<ref name=ipi/><ref name=osce2023/><ref name=ipimedia/>

=== Publishing houses ===

State-run publishers are: ''Belarus Segodnya Publishing House'' (operates newspapers, Alfa Radio, etc.), [[Vysheysha shkola]] (academic books),<ref name=presBelarusSegodnya/> ''Mastatskaya Litaratura'', ''Narodnaya Asveta'', ''Belkartografia'', ''Aversev'' (academic books), the ''Belsoyuzpechat'' (national distributor),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mfa.gov.by/en/press/news_mfa/a35e35002039ff89.html|title=Belarusian Publishing Houses Participated in the Baltic Book Fair – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus|access-date=2017-02-12}}</ref> ''Four Quarters'' (books on the arts, history and geography), ''Belorusskaya Nauka'' (science), ''Tekhnologiya'', ''Belovagroup'', etc.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://www.belarus.by/en/press-center/500-years-belarusian-book-printing/belarus-publishers-win-honors-at-cis-art-of-book-contest-in-moscow_i_63897.html
| title =500 Years of Belarusian Book Printing
| date =2017-09-08
| publisher = Belarus.by
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref>

Independent publishers include ''Janushkevich'', ''Knigazbor'', ''Goliaths'', ''Medisont'',  ''Limarius'', ''Knihauka''. All of them experience pressure from the authorities, obstruction of their activities, employees of some have been arrested.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://penbelarus.org/en/2022/05/30/zayava-z-nagody-represij-supracz-belaruskih-knigarou-i-znishchennya-nezalezhnaj-vydaveczkaj-galiny.html
| title =Statement on the repression of Belarusian book publishers and the destruction of the independent publishing industry
| date =2022-05-30
| publisher = PEN Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://internationalpublishers.org/belarus-reports-of-detention-of-publisher-and-bookseller-raise-concerns/
| title =Belarus – Reports of Detention of Publisher and Bookseller Raise Concerns
| date =2022-05-25
| publisher = International Publishers Association
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://publishingperspectives.com/2022/05/ipa-fep-eibf-flag-reports-of-belarusian-publishers-detentions/
| title =IPA, FEP, EIBF: Reports of Belarusian Publishers’ Detentions
| date =2022-05-24
| publisher = Publishing Perspectives
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref>

=== Radio ===
{{main|List of radio stations in Belarus}}

In 2009, 158 radio stations were registered in the country, 137 state-owned and 21 private.{{sfn|For Free and Fair Media in Belarus International Support Report|2009}} By 2023, only 99 remained, 63 of them state-run.<ref name=president/> 

[[Belteleradio]], the state TV and radio service, operates five radio stations: ''Radius-FM'', ''First National Channel'', ''Stolitsa'', and ''Radio Belarus'' for foreign audiences.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media/national-state-tv-and-radio-company
| title =Belteleradiocompany
| publisher = President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref> ''Alfa Radio'' is operated by the state ''Belarus Segodnya Publishing House''.<ref name=presBelarusSegodnya/>

[[Radio 101.2 (Belarus)|Radio 101.2]] was a Minsk-based independent station which was closed by the government in 1996 and transferred to the Belarusian Republican Youth Union. The independent [[Autoradio (Belarus)|Autoradio]] was shut down in 2010. Declared extremist in Belarus, [[Euroradio]] and {{ill|Radio Racja|ru|Радио Рация}} work in exile.<ref name=bbc23/><ref name=ipi/> In 2024, the ''RockRadioBY'' was launched in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://baj.media/en/rockradioby-launched-ukraine/
| title =RockRadioBY launched in Ukraine
| date =2024-01-15
| publisher =BAJ
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref>

=== TV ===
{{main|List of television channels in Belarus}}

TV is the most popular source of information among Belarusian citizens, 92,2% watch it daily. It is monopolized by the government and managed by three biggest operator companies: STV, ONT, and BT-1. In the early 2000s, while the Russian mass media dominated in Belarus, it frequently invited Belarusian oppositioners and allowed criticism of Lukashenko. To avoid its influence, in 2002 a special presidential decree established the Second National Channel (BT-2) intending to replace [[Channel One Russia]] and also the amount of broadcast time allocated for the hugely popular Russian channels.<ref name=usov/><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/cpj/2003/en/55938
| title =Attacks on the Press in 2002 - Belarus
| publisher = Refworld
| access-date =2024-03-18}}</ref> Nowadays, the Media Law establishes a requirement for all editors of TV programs to ensure that the volume of TV programs of Belarusian (national) production is not less than 30%.<ref>{{cite web
| url =http://mininform.gov.by/activities/voprosy-i-otvety-po-zakonu-o-smi/
| title =Вопросы-ответы по проекту Закона Республики Беларусь «О внесении изменений и дополнений в некоторые законы Республики Беларусь»
|language=ru
|trans-title=Questions and Answers on the Draft Law of the Republic of Belarus "On Amending Certain Laws of the Republic of Belarus"
| publisher = Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-17}}</ref> Still, according to 2023 BBC analytics, Russian TV channels show higher viewership figures than Belarusian ones.<ref name=bbc23/>

By June 2015, Belarus had completed the switch from analog to digital TV.<ref name=belby/> There is no private or commercial TV in the country.<ref name=usov/>

The [[Belteleradio]] operates channels [[Belarus-1]], {{ill|Belarus 2|be|Беларусь 2}}, {{ill|Belarus 3|be|Беларусь 3}}, {{ill|Belarus 4|be|Беларусь 4}}, {{ill|Belarus 5|be|Беларусь 5}}, [[Belarus 24]], {{ill|NTV Belarus|be|НТБ-Беларусь}} (the national version of [[NTV (Russia)|NTV Russia]] with programmes from NTV Russia and other Russian channels).<ref name=bbc23/>

The second largest state-run TV company is [[All-National TV]], nowadays, it mostly broadcasts content of the [[Channel One Russia]].<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media/second-national-tv-channel
| title =Second National TV Channel (ONT) 
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref> Third leading channel is ''STV'' (''Stolichnoye Televideniye''), founded in 2000, rebroadcasts Russian [[REN TV]].<ref name=bbc23/><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/society/mass-media/capital-television
| title =Stolichnoye Televideniye (STV) 
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-08}}</ref>

[[Belsat TV]], the first independent TV channel in Belarus, is in exile and bases in [[Poland]].<ref name=bbc23/> Svetlahorsk private TV and Radio company ''Ranak'' was closed by authorities in 2023 merely for coverage of the accident at the Svetlahorsk pulp and cardboard mill that caused the death of three factory workers.<ref name=baj23/>

=== Internet media ===

In 2009, 31% of the population of Minsk had Internet access; the percentage in other major cities was 12%. One hundred and eighty [[Internet service provider|ISPs]] served 3.1&nbsp;million users (470,000 broadband users).<ref name=EJC/> By different estimates, in 2022, the number of users amounted to 8-9.1 mln.<ref name=bbc23/><ref name=FHreport22/><ref name=usov/> According to the officials, 4G covers more that 76% of the territory and 97% of the population, while fixed broadband penetration rate is around 34%.<ref name=FHreport22/> The Internet in the country is controlled by [[Beltelecom]] and the republican company "National Center for Traffic Exchange", both have the technical means to shut down Internet connections in the country and effectively block media outlets. News sites from Central and Western Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, are not available in Belarus.<ref name=usov/><ref name=FHreport22/> 

The repressive landscape of traditional media and the simultaneous expansion of Internet penetration resulted in an explosive growth of independent media resources on the Internet. All media centres also started to run their activities via the Internet.<ref name=usov/> Although state-owned publications also tried to increase their presence on the Internet, independent publications dominated it and enjoyed incomparably greater trust of the audience.<ref name=FHreport22/><ref name=usov/> Projects, such as [[Charter 97]], [[Naviny.by]], [[Belarusian Partisan]], [[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty|Svaboda]], functioned relatively free up until 2020.<ref name=usov/> [[Sergei Tikhanovsky]], for example, became famous for his [[YouTube]] channel "Country for Life" ({{langx|ru|Страна для жизни|label=none}}).<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://belsat.eu/en/news/detained-belarusian-blogger-set-to-be-lukashenka-s-rival-in-2020-election
| title =Detained Belarusian blogger set to be Lukashenka’s rival in 2020 election
| date =2020-05-07
| publisher = Belsat
| access-date =2024-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url =https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59650238
| title =Belarus: Opposition leader Tikhanovsky jailed for 18 years over protests
| date =2021-12-12
| publisher = BBC
| access-date =2024-03-18}}</ref> 

In mid-2021, the Belarusian government sharply tightened control over media publications on the Internet and unleashed a repressive campaign against independent publications and bloggers. As of 2024, all major independent news outlets inside Belarus were shut down. Social media and messaging platforms remain available, though individual bans are widely practised.<ref name=FHreport22>{{cite web
| url =https://freedomhouse.org/country/belarus/freedom-net/2022
| title =Freedom of the Net Report 2022
| publisher = Freedom House
| access-date =2024-03-18}}</ref> Such websites as belaruspartisan.by and belsat.eu are available only via VPNs and TOR connections.<ref name=europarl/> popular Telegram channels like ''NEXTA Live'' (see [[Roman Protasevich]]) or ''Belarus Golovnogo Mozga'' were declared extremists.<ref name=rsf>{{cite web
| url =https://rsf.org/en/two-belarusian-bloggers-sentenced-more-10-years-prison
| title =Two Belarusian bloggers sentenced to more than 10 years in prison
| date =2021-12-23
| publisher =Reporters Without Borders
| access-date =2024-03-09}}</ref><ref name=europarl/> According to the current laws in Belarus web users and other media are held legally liable for reposting materials by media that was declared extremist.{{sfn|IREX|2022}}<ref name=osce2023/><ref name=ipimedia/>

=== Cinema ===
{{main|Cinema of Belarus}}

The country's main film studio is [[Belarusfilm]], founded in 1924. Nowadays it has a full production cycle and produces up to 15 feature films yearly, as well as documentaries and animation.<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://president.gov.by/en/belarus/social/culture/cinematography
| title =Cinematography
| publisher =President of the Republic of Belarus
| access-date =2024-03-12}}</ref>

During the Soviet era, Belarusfilms was nicknamed "Partizanfilm" due to its large number of films portraying the [[Soviet partisans]]' struggle against [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] occupation. The studio, also noted for its [[children's film]]s, has made over 130 animation films<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animator.ru/db/?ver=eng&p=show_studia&sid=28&sp=2|title=Russian animation in letters and figures – Studies – BYELARUSFILM NATIONAL FILM STUDIO – NATIONAL ENTERPRISE|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref> (most in Russian). Belarusfilm has produced about 10 feature films and four animated films per year since 1997.<ref name=EJC/> It is a co-organiser of the annual November [[Listapad]] film festival (Minsk International Film Festival) in Minsk.{{cn|date=August 2022}}