Human rights activists report non-critical changes in media environment in Salihorsk

Salihorsk representatives of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee continue to monitor the situation with freedom of speech in the district. The human rights activists say the status quo in this area in recent months is still preserved, with a light movement in the direction of improving the situation.

The set of actors in the media sphere of Salihorsk has remained virtually unchanged for many years. The role of an independent leader is still played by the website saligorsk.org. After the summer turbulence the editorial office resumed regular work. The Potash War, news from human rights activists, social and political developments in the region and the country - nothing is left unattended by the independent resource. The officially registered newspaper of the Slutsk-Salihorsk region called “Infa-Kurier” can also boast fairly sharp articles on its pages. The young independent information site “Salihorsk-Info” does sometimes post independent information, but the human rights defenders can’t so far see the desired progress.

Human rights activists characterize the state of public media using the word “stagnation”. Changing designs on the websites of local government weekly "Shakhtsior" and the district TV channel did not change the essence of information they create. Ideological prejudice, lack of critical materials and agriculture themes are unlikely to have a major impact on the minds of citizens. On the other hand, people in the district who do not have access to the ubiquitous Internet, are locked up in this information ghetto of the state-run media.