Belarus media guide
- Published
Official newspapers are subsidised while opposition print media have struggled to survive
Belarus has one of the most repressive media environments in Europe.
The continuing crackdown on independent media, bloggers and online activists is part of the wider effort to crush the campaign for political change following the disputed 2020 presidential election.
Dozens of journalists have been arrested and multiple media outlets shut down since then, although some continue operations from abroad.
The already vast Russian media influence has only increased since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Russian TV is widely available and often enjoys higher viewership figures than Belarusian channels.
State TV parrots Russian propaganda narratives about the war, Ukraine and the West, also vilifying the Belarusian opposition.
Online remains the only outpost of free speech but oppressive media regulation - including the designation of critical outlets as "extremist" - makes it difficult and potentially dangerous to access them.
There were 8 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 85% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). Russia's VKontakte is the most popular social network.
Press
Sovetskaya Belorussiya (Belarus Segodnya) , external - Russian-language, published by Presidential Administration; SB also publishes Respublika, external daily and Narodnya Hazeta, external daily
Zvyazda, external - Belarussian-language daily, run by National Assembly and Council of Ministers
BDG Delovaya Gazeta, external - private, business daily
Narodnaya Volya - private, pro-opposition, publishes twice a week
BelGazeta, external - private weekly
Svobodnyye Novosti Plyus, external - private weekly
Television
Belarusian TV, external - state-run, operates flagship Belarus 1, entertainment network Belarus 2, culture network Belarus 3, sports channel Belarus 5, satellite station Belarus 24
Nationwide TV (ONT), external - joint venture with Russia's Channel One; state holds a majority stake
STV (Stolichnoye Televideniye) - state-run, rebroadcasts Russian REN TV
Belsat, external - exile TV based in Poland, via satellite and internet
Radio
Belarusian Radio, external - state-run, operates several networks including flagship Channel 1
Radio BA, external - commercial
Radio Mir, external - commercial
Radio Racja, external - exile station, based in Poland
Euroradio, external - exile station, based in Poland
News agencies/online
Belta, external - state-owned, English-language pages
Charter 97, external - opposition-leaning site, English-language pages
Zerkalo, external - private, news website, successor to Tut.by which was closed down by Minsk in June 2022.