81% of BT Air Dedicated to Alexander Lukashenko :: Charter'97 :: News

Alexander Lukashenko’s reelection campaign has been receiving overwhelming coverage in the state-controlled broadcast media as compared with his rivals, said the Novak sociological laboratory.

Novak has been conducting media monitoring of the election campaign coverage under the supervision of experts from the European Institute for the Media.

Novak experts told reporters on August 27 that 81 percent of the election broadcasts on Belarusian Television were devoted to Mr. Lukashenko, while only 19 percent to the other candidates.

An analysis of state radio broadcasts from July 23 to August 23 found that 95 percent of the total election coverage was devoted to the incumbent, and was either in favor of Mr. Lukashenko or neutral.

The Russian television networks NTV, RTR and ORT drew a more balanced picture of the campaign. They reportedly provided coverage for the opposition coalition’s candidate Vladimir Goncharik (RTR and NTV), and criticized Alexander Lukashenko (NTV and ORT).

The press demonstrated a plurality of views in general, but as far as particular newspapers are concerned, their election coverage was one-sided to such an extent that readers could not get full information from one source, said Nadezhda Yefimova of Novak.