During working trip to Minsk region, Information Minister of Belarus, Oleg Proleskovsky, acknowledged that Belarusian officials and ministers were less public comparing with their Western colleagues and explained it by that "these are bureaucratic traditions in many CIS countries". In this regard, the head of the Ministry of Information called on Belarusian officials "not to run away from cameras and microphones".
The minister also held a meeting on improving information and propaganda work, where he noted that the development of regional mass media (especially broadcasting) was a key priority for government’s information policy. Oleg Proleskovsky considers logical that in the republican press ratings, local mass media, having the credit of citizens, ranked the second, staying behind just national newspaper «Sovetskaya Belorussia», reported in the Ministry of Information.
While admitting problems in regional mass media with quality of published materials and forms of their presentation, lack of problematic, critical materials, educational programs and publications, lack of creative and talented journalists, the head of the Ministry of Information said that regional mass media should not set a task to be paying back at present.
«Thus time, an emphasis should be made on informational and ideological component. Chief editors must carry out more flexible editorial and publishing policy, achieve diversity of genres», the minister stressed.
Belarusian officials should not speak in Internet as private persons, Proleskovsky
Oleg Proleskovsky also drew attention of local officials on the need to develop more actively regional mass media websites and make them totally different to the printed versions of publications.
«Electronic version, accessible to everybody, first of all, should include prompt information, to be a discussion platform in the form of different forums and blogs, and printed version — to include mostly analytical publications», Information Minister of Belarus explained.
Answering the question on the suitability of placing personal pages of Belarusian officials online, by analogy with foreign politicians, Oleg Proleskovky declared he did not consider it appropriate that ministers in Belarus had private contacts with Web users.
«Members of Russian government do not have their own pages in Internet. After all, in any country the statement of high-ranking official is in fact the official position of respective department. Moreover, in Web there are a lot of statements of other representatives of Belarusian printed press, science and culture. For example, Director of Administration of High-Tech park, Valery Tsepkalo, and others «, the head of the Ministry of Information said.
In conclusion, Oleg Proleskovsky wished mass media representative to have more skills, impartiality and inspiration to reach new creative heights.
