Lukashenko: role of media is great now, my attitude towards journalists is very serious
In information warfare, one should be very careful, cautious, accurate. Young people should understand what is going on while journalists should also help the society in this regard – as noted by President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko during today’s meeting with humanities students at the Minsk State Linguistic University.
Answering a question from a student of the BSU Journalism Department about whether it is not time to consider journalists not a classical fourth power, but the first (after the President), the Head of State noted, “Journalists should always remember: they are the fourth power! Not the first one.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that today, in the conditions of information confrontation, information and psychological operations have become common practice, “You know what it is. Look, there is a war in Ukraine — and information confrontation, from real information to all kinds of influence operations with fakes and lies, where everything – bias and truth – is mixed up. You remember Bucha: Russians were accused of killing people, and before that, the dead (or before they were killed) had their hands tied behind their backs and were dumped in the streets. It was nothing but an information and psychological operation, and it was timely and masterfully, if I may say so, planned. This was done by the UK special services, our electronic intelligence tracked it all down. And they pinned all the blame on Russians. It’s good Belarusians haven’t been blamed. And then Volodya Zelenskyy showed everyone: look what Russia is doing.”
That’s why, the role of mass media is great today, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed, “You are at the forefront, as well as our journalists, including those present here. If you want to know the truth, read and watch the state media. It is true that already 60 percent and more people trust these media (it wasn’t like that before). Why so? People have found out where the truth lies. I advise you to be very attentive to this. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t see other, alternative points of view, you should see them — if you are able to analyse and draw the appropriate conclusions. It does not mean that the state media and the authorities do everything right and don’t make mistakes. But in this information war, you have to be very careful, cautious and accurate. You have to figure it out. And in this respect, journalists should help the society as well.”
The Head of State pointed out that all journalists and politicians are engaged in propaganda, counter-propaganda and agitation, “They’re all doing it. You know the common phrase: he who pays the piper calls the tune. So, when they talk about propagandists in the West, I always think: who are you? We’re promoting our way of life and our culture, agitating people for it. And who are you [opponents of the Belarusian government] for? For those who give you money. That’s why there is nothing objective there.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced, “The role of the media is very great now, and my attitude towards journalists is very serious. I have paid and still pay great attention to working with journalists, because I understand that a lot depends on you. You are shaping the image not only of the present, but also of the future of our society.”
