Zhanna Litvina: I overestimated role of “public council on media”

Media experts say the Belarusian independent mass media will face harsh pressure from the authorities in 2010.

At the end of 2009, a draft decree on regulating the Belarusian segment of the Internet became available to the press; “Narodnaya Volya” newspaper got the second warning from the Ministry of Information. These events attract attention to problems of freedom of speech and journalistic activist in Belarus. In general experts say, the year 2009 didn’t bring significant changes in the sphere of media. The year 2010 promising to be a rather difficult year for the independent press can give surprises.

As Zhanna Litvina, the head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), told in an interview to BelaPAN, no global changes in issues relating to the freedom of speech and activist of independent media were noticed in 2009. “We saw many optimistic signs when the year began. We were ready for an open dialogue, a number of meetings, round table discussions were held, where representatives of the authorities and we discussed problems of the Internet and the law on the mass media,” the BAJ head said.

Besides, Litvina noted, the Public Coordinating Council focusing on media problems was created and much was expected of it. “In the beginning, I overestimated its role. I regarded it as a body of self regulation of the media. However, the hopes remained just hopes,” the BAJ head emphasized.

As estimated by her, 2009 was the “year of disappointed hopes.” “I mean our professional problems,” Litvina explained. “In fact, situation with spreading independent press hasn’t changed. Besides, the problem of access to information remained.”

Litvina mention the problem of accreditation among the most important issues for the media community. Journalist working for foreign media and those trying to get accreditation at local governmental bodies face this problem. Another painful point is creating different obstacles to hinder performing professional duties. In particular, the BAJ head reminded that officers of secret services impeded journalists to take pictures and video of some opposition demonstrations.

“In late 2009, the draft decree on regulation of the Internet appeared,” Litvina said. “Regulating and controlling the Internet is a senseless idea, it is bound to fail.”

At the same time, she thinks zealousness of officials can harm the freedom of speech on the Belarusian Internet.

Making a forecast for development of the situation in the mass media in 2010, Litvina noted the current tendencies do not instil optimism. According to her, the ongoing economic crisis can seriously influence the independent media. “Independent mass media cannot count on aid from the budget, tax remissions, but the number of advertisers is decreasing,” she said.

Besides, the two electoral campaigns, the elections to the local councils and presidential elections, can become a serious test. “Electoral campaigns cause irreparable losses of the Belarusian journalism,” Litvina stressed. “After the 2001 campaign we lost 25 political newspapers, which closed down voluntary or in a judicial procedure. 19 papers lost an opportunity to be spread through the official distribution networks Belpochta and Belsoyuzpechat ahead of the 2006 presidential elections campaign. This problem hasn’t been solved so far.”

She stressed the new law on mass media allows to close any media outlet if it gets two warning within a year. This norm, the BAJ head supposes, makes independent media to impose self-censorship. “Editorial staff becomes very careful, begins to use self-censorship that affect the professional performing journalist’s duties,” she emphasized.