‘Bobruyskiy Kuryer’ still not invited to Babruisk Town Executive Committee

As workers of the private newspaper Bobruyskiy Kuryer learned from publications in the local press, representatives of all local media but Bobruyskiy Kuryer had been invited to the Babruisk Town Executive Committee on the eve of the Day of Press and the Day of Radio, TV and Communications.

The journalists were personally congratulated by Dzmitry Bonakhau, the TEC Chairperson. ‘Journalists are like judges’, pointed the official. ‘They play an important role in the life of our town’.

’It is clear that our edition is not supposed to play this role’, comments Anatol Sanatsenka, chief editor of Bobruyskiy Kuryer. ‘Most probably, the local authorities think that a good journalist is an ‘approved’ one – a low-level official who receives informational errands. As we know, there are no independent officials. It seems that they want to see us in the role of the ‘appointed official’. But it is a point of view from the previous century…’

All in all, ten newspapers are issued in Babruisk, including two large-circulation newspapers and an unregistered one, issued by a civil organization. There is also a TV channel and several town websites. Bobruyskiy Kuryer was deprived of accreditation at the Babruisk TEC in 2004 and have experienced difficulties in access to information, distribution and advertisement orders ever since.