Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 17 November (BelTA) – There is no excessive pressure on mass media in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko said at the press conference for the Russian regional mass media on 17 November.

All the leading newspapers, national, oblast and regional, have been preserved in the country. “They are subsidized by the government. People say that if they are financed by the state, they are dependent. No major mass media outlet will say that there is excessive pressure on them from outside. Yes, we ask journalists to be objective and also to be a little more patriotic for the sake of peace and stability in the country,” the head of state said.

“I criticize them [mass media] for the lack of criticism from their side. People see everything. If we say the same things all the time, people will stop reading,” Alexander Lukashenko said. The Belarusian leader believes that the media should show both positive examples and shortcomings. There should be a balance.

“We do not exert excessive pressure on our mass media. They need to take a creative approach to their work,” the President stressed. He added that he reads through the country’s major newspapers every day.