2016 is filled with historical anniversaries and events, including the 75th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe, and the Year of Culture in Belarus. Gomel recently gathered ideologists, culture and mass media representatives to discuss coverage which will promote understanding sensitively.
Participants of the final session
Information Minister Lilia Ananich — who was among the forum participants — outlined media priorities, saying, “We appreciate that our country is developing as a sovereign state and should therefore work to keep the public well-informed, with the media playing a vital role. We need to strengthen our national information space, while encouraging wider understanding through various channels. Young people are attracted by the immediacy of the Internet but sometimes fail to understand its agenda. Journalists need to cover not only issues of economic wellbeing but should help expand public understanding, to promote cultural knowledge.”
Ms. Ananich notes the Web’s potential and believes that Internet technologies are not yet used to their full potential, via portals or mobile applications, to provide up-to-date, well-considered information. She would like to see media projects developed through the regions, saying, “The Gomel Region boasts a rich information resource and has good prospects. This year, the FM regional radio station Gomelskaya Pravda (Gomel Truth) is launching. We shouldn’t be limited by what we’ve achieved so far, reaching ever further. Modern life requires new approaches and never-ending improvement,” she emphasises.
By Veronika Dronova
