Media Monitoring In Belarus 2006

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MEDIA MONITORING IN BELARUS: “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2006 COVERAGE
IN THE BELARUSIAN MASS-MEDIA”

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Media situation in Belarus

Electronic data processing results

Propaganda in favor of just one candidate

Conclusions

Appendix 1

This Report summarizes the monitoring results from the Belarusian electronic and print media coverage of the Presidential Election held on March 19, 2006. The monitoring was conducted in the period from January 16 to March 26, 2006. It included such election process' phases as signatures' collection, election campaigns of registered candidates as well as one-week period after the vote, during which media commented the results of voting.

The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) implemented the Project.

1.1. Summary of Findings

From the very beginning of monitoring a positive representation of just one prospective candidate for the Presidency, that of A.Lukashenka, was dominant in the State owned media. As for the other pretenders they were either absent or just mentioned. The fact of candidates' registration did not change this general picture.

The Central Election Commission, although having provided candidates with equal opportunities in the State owned electronic media, scheduled their speeches for the time, which was not favorable for voters. It dropped either to the end or beginning of a working day. As a result many voters could not get acquainted with candidates' messages on radio and TV. Moreover, in difference of propaganda films, the same media did not make any announcements of candidates' speeches in advance.

The candidate A. Lukashenka missed this formal opportunity. In the meantime, he made 3-hour speech at the Third Pan-Belarusian People's Congress. The same speech, although made two times shorter, was also rebroadcast by all State owned TV and radio channels at the prime time. And at the same day the State run press published his election program. Comparative analysis of both texts showed that they were similar in their basic theses and even some wordings coincided. The further analysis also showed that even the author considered the speech to be the program of his future Presidential activity.

The State owned electronic and print media did not cover any discussions as regards the alternative candidates' programs and did not show any interviews with them. If mentioned, the alternative candidates' messages were characterized in an extremely negative tone. The election program by A.Lukashenka, on the contrary, was much discussed and highly appraised. And an interview with his was broadcast for several times.

In an absolutely different way the State owned press represented candidates' printed messages either. Thus, the State run dailies the election program by the candidate A.Lukashenka was published on front pages supplemented with a big color picture showing smiling and happy people with flowers and flags. Before them A.Lukashenka is present. He is taller and bigger than other people are. And the election programs by candidates S.Gajdukievich and A.Kazulin with their small pictures, on the contrary, were published on the 3rd, 14th and 15th pages. Moreover, the total space of their programs' presentation was twice less than that of the same materials dedicated to A.Lukashenka.

Prior to the election campaign State owned TV launched a number of special projects. These were a series of pop-concerts staged in the biggest Belarusian cities and a number of films. The films were directed against the opposition, which was represented as an enemy and destructive force of the Belarusian society. And pop-concerts were meant to support A.Lukashenka.

Although the Belarusian TV channels showed special items to remind voters about the important date in the political life of the country, in fact these were illustrations of success of the previous policy of A.Lukashenka and, in particular, of such thesis of his election message as "stability", "welfare", "defense of peaceful life of Belarusians" etc.

At the day of voting the State owned TV channels were actively evaluating the results of the vote. Journalists, State officials, observers and Russian politicians made extremely positively evaluations. In the subsequent days the character of evaluations did not change. In the meantime, the same media made OSCE observers mission an object of harsh criticism.

It is to conclude that the State owned electronic and print media did not complete their basic task to inform voters in a non-biased and objective way, so that well-informed voters could make a competent choice at the day of voting.

The independent press, although strived to give a wide and balanced picture of the Belarusian election process and candidates' messages, could not withstand the tendentious election coverage by the State owned media due to its limited circulation and non-access to its readership.

1.2. Monitoring Objectives

The monitoring Project's objectives were as following:

- To assess the professional level of election campaign and its political actors coverage by different broadcast and print media;

- To evaluate media ability to cover in an efficient, complete and non-biased way candidates' messages as well as a variety of political and social opinions by their supporters;

- To define the role of both State and independent media in the voters' education as well as their influence on the voters' choice.

1.3. Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation criteria were the internationally recognized professional standards and principles of journalist ethics. The most important among them were as following:

- Freedom of expression;

- Accuracy and transparency;

- Balanced reporting;

- Impartiality;

- Equal access for candidates to public media;

- Non-biased coverage of candidates messages;

- Right of reply and corrections.

All these principles are elaborated in the section "International standards on media coverage of elections" prepared by the International organization Article 19. (See Appendix 1).

Media Monitoring in Belarus 2006

Media situation in Belarus