The most reassuring thing is getting feedback from the audience». Belarusian independent media’s take on the year’s results and their plans for the future
In 2023, Belarusian journalists launched new projects, conducted investigations, and exceeded their targets. Meanwhile, they also faced personal problems such as the death of loved ones and burnout. Some took their first holiday in years. The Belarusian Association of Journalists interviewed representatives of the independent media to find out how they fared during the year.
Volha Loika, Plan B editor-in-chief and founder
“The year 2023 was finally just normal. Problems arose and were solved, new projects were designed, we traveled, met our partners, and faced some tragedies. Everything was literally fine.”
Volha Loika is a former editor-in-chief of the political and economic section at TUT.BY media outlet. She was detained in May 2021 in the TUT.BY case. Two years later, she left the pre-trial detention center awaiting trial. In 2023, she launched the Plan B media.
“The fact that you are alive and well is the greatest achievement of recent years. My colleagues and I launched Plan B. My whole family and many friends left Belarus. We are settling down, supporting each other, fighting, building a new life. And that’s a good thing. On the last New Year’s Eve, I was here alone and it seemed like that loneliness was everlasting.
“Above all, our work has been affected by repression, fear, and the stigmatization of the profession and of myself personally. The status of ‘terrorist’ may seem ridiculous, but it is not actually funny.
The scariest thing is to say goodbye to friends forever. The death of my colleague and friend Aleh Anufryjenka is irreparable. Meeting him in Paris in May was one of my most enjoyable encounters this year. I am very happy for those of my colleagues who have been released from prison this year. The real problem is the heavy prison sentences my other colleagues have received.
Our wish for the new year would be to survive. To establish a new normality. To help your loved ones to do the same. We dream of seeing friends and colleagues being released from prison. Free, safe, sound, and full of life and optimism.
Our wish for our colleagues is to stick together, survive, write, and talk about things that matter. Reach financial stability. Finally see all our colleagues on the outside.
As for me, I would like to finally implement the plans I had for 2020. I dreamed of being done with the electoral hustle and getting a normal job [smiles]. Nothing has changed, only the electoral hustle never ended. But never mind, I’m not in a hurry.”
Pavel Sviardlou, Euroradio editor-in-chief
“The year was difficult, but very eventful. We have done a lot of experimenting, searching, and finding new ways to reach out to Belarusians. We tested a variety of formats. We had to come to terms with artificial intelligence. And we are good at what we are doing.”
Euroradio is an international radio station operating in Belarus since 2006. In 2020, they lost their office in Minsk and failed to get accredited.
Our achievements include partnering with Psiphon VPN service, which has resulted in our site being visited by 400,000 unique users per month, mostly from Belarus. Another advantage was the consortium formed with Malanka Media, which is now starting to broadcast on the Reporters Without Borders satellite. The next achievement is the Gender Gap show, in which we discuss women’s rights and gender stereotypes. It has allowed us to learn a great deal about ourselves, about our audience, and about Belarus in general.
Attending large conferences such as RightsCon has influenced both our work and worldview. It takes you out of your bubble and gives you a better understanding of the world. And finally, we happened to put in a good word for Belarus in front of a large audience.
I think the most terrible thing is that we’ve become used to violence, as a media and as a society, influenced by wartime news. Murder videos no longer frighten, surprise, or evoke much emotion.
The most pleasant thing is when our listeners get in touch with us and give some feedback. For example, in May, a resident of Minsk informed us that he had seen a motorcade with a sick Lukashenka on its way to the medical commission. Or when we received some documents on how Belarusian Steel Works was circumventing sanctions and continuing to trade with the European Union.
The voices of Belarusians should sound louder in the world. And it is the Belarusian media, and not someone else, who should inform foreigners about the events in our country. I think it’s very important to do this.
I wish my colleagues stable development and clear prospects. I’m not going to say what I want for myself, otherwise it won’t come true.”
Fiodar Pauliuchenka, Reform.By editor-in-chief and co-founder
“This year has been a time of exorbitant repression in Belarus and the swing of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Personally, I saw everything through that prism.
I hoped that the authorities would stop the repression, but it’s only getting worse. The madness seems never-ending.
I associate Ukraine’s successes in the war against Russia with many other events. It became clear by autumn that the war would be long. Nothing good awaits us all.”
Reform.by has been operating since 2018. Due to the persecution of journalists, criminal cases, and interrogations, its staff have left Belarus. In December 2023, it became known that the project was on the verge of closure. The readers donated 17,000 euros within a few days to keep the project running.
“My life is our project, Reform.by. We have conducted thorough investigations and received the Free Media Awards. Overall, we have been successful in our work. This is an achievement in itself.
We cannot continue our work due to a lack of funds and opportunities for development. The funding impasse is limiting progress.
I went on vacation for the first time in many years. It was the most pleasant event of the year [laughs]. I prefer not to discuss any terrible events. Against the backdrop of repression and war, everything is bearable.
I want Reform.by to survive. This is important because I don’t want to lose our team. This is my dream and my intention.
What are my New Year’s wishes for my colleagues? Remember to hyperlink when re-publishing! But seriously, Belarusian journalists are very cool. What is surprising is that against all odds, the Belarusian media market is qualitatively different from many of its neighboring countries.
My wish for myself is audience attention, prosperity, and success.”
Nasta Utkina, Palatno copy editor
“We launched in the summer of 2022, but we had to go through a rebranding process and that story dragged on until 2023. Real work on the project started in February. By June, we achieved the desired quality and quantity of pieces.
It was a year of experimentation and attempting to find our place among other Belarusian media. We work as a small team, so it’s much more difficult.”
Palatno is a project run by independent Belarusian journalists that focuses on life in the Belarusian provinces. It was created by journalists of Rehijanalnaja Hazeta who emigrated from Belarus due to political persecution. In November 2023, Aliaksandr Mantsevich, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, was sentenced to four years in prison.
“We planned to issue two podcasts, but in the end, we have four. This was our first achievement.
Another one is we chose not to create a Russian version of the site because Belarusians typically read in Belarusian. We are not seeking to expand our audience.
The third achievement is that we have been able to retain the core crew and expand the team, as well as establish working procedures in a short period.
The PlayStation has had the biggest impact on my personal work. The effectiveness of the team has been positively influenced by the planning of both content and work in general. The situation in Belarus that none of our journalists can escape remains the negative side of our work.
On a personal level, the worst thing this year has been the death of my father. The most pleasant aspect was working on our project, which distracted us from all the sad stuff.
Palatno found it most frustrating when grandiose plans were made, and a large amount of pieces were conceived, only to find that little could be achieved. Calculating the strength and availability of staff members is crucial for effective planning and management. The most enjoyable aspect is the team-building meetings.
Our focus for 2024 is launching two new podcasts and designing the visual component for podcasts.
The Palatno team wishes our colleagues success and diligence in their work for the betterment of Belarus and its people. We hope to come back home soon, full of ideas, strengths, and opportunities, as our readers are eagerly awaiting our return.
I want my team to maintain their professionalism and honesty.”
Editor-in-chief of GayPress, a Belarusian LGBTQ+ media outlet (name withheld for security reasons)
“This year has brought us many new things, including authors, special projects, readers, and viewers. GayPress has a growth point in its special project for Belarusians, which focuses on LGBTQ+ migration.
We have designed detailed guides, including texts and videos, for LGBTQ individuals in eight different countries. As well as podcasts featuring Belarusian queer people, psychological guidance, instructions on obtaining refugee status for LGBTQ+ individuals in the EU, and more.
The main accomplishment of the year is the increase in audience size. Taking into account the website, social media pages, and the Telegram channel, we reach about 100,000 people monthly across all platforms. In March, the site had almost 60,000 unique visitors. Our activity did not go unnoticed and we were blocked in the Russian Federation.
The second achievement is our special projects. In addition to covering LGBTQ+ migration, we are the only media outlet reporting on LGBTQ+ Belarusians through our HUKANNE [The Call] special project.
Third, we give the floor to LGBTQ+ individuals who are making significant contributions to the lives of both those who remain in the country and those who have left. For instance, our podcasts feature a queer poet and performer Artur Kamarouski, as well as LGBTQ+ initiatives such as ‘This is OK’ and ‘Future’. We also highlight the story of a gay man from Belarus who crossed the border into the United States 11 times and is now pursuing an acting career there.
The tightening of the human rights situation in Belarus influenced the work. The implementation of a new discriminatory law against the LGBT+ community, raids on gay clubs in Minsk, and video recordings in which security forces exposing Belarusian individuals who identify as gay. Police harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals on dating apps has been one of the most troubling events of the year.
One of the most significant events for me was delivering speeches to representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission in Brussels.
Although the political agenda is disheartening, I am pleased to have informed European officials about the situation of LGBTQ+ individuals in Belarus. Additionally, I was able to bring attention to our issues and gain the support of officials in Brussels.
In the new year, I hope to add to the improvement of attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals among my fellow citizens. We are all human beings and we have equal rights!
We hope our colleagues have the chance to take a break. It is very difficult to work in the current conditions. Burnout is our constant companion in work. I wish we could rest.”
Aliaksei Shota, Hrodna.Life editor-in-chief
“2023 was a tough year for many of us. I attempted to balance work and rest to avoid burnout, but the scale tipped too heavily towards work. The end of the year was particularly challenging due to long work hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.”
Hrodna.life is a regional media originally based in Hrodna. In November 2022, the organization was deemed extremist, prompting its employees to quickly depart from Belarus.
“Throughout the year, I managed to find time for hobbies, including a new one – jogging. Running 10 kilometers without collapsing is a personal achievement for me, as I have never been particularly athletic. A year ago, I did not expect to be able to run even a thousand meters.
I managed to read more books than I could have imagined. I planned several short trips and visited the countries I had long wanted to see, including Andorra and Norway. However, it was impossible to completely disconnect from work and take a break for at least a week, like most people do. I am accustomed to this because if you have never had a normal vacation, you do not expect it.
We have been working remotely for a year. While some progress has been made, I am not completely satisfied with the results. There is still much work to be done. Entering 2024 with uncertainty about the future is unpleasant. However, everyone is accustomed to the uncertainty of the future.
Personally, I consider it an achievement to have been invited frequently as a training facilitator. I enjoy working in the field of non-formal education and feel energized by it. I rarely decline requests to facilitate workshops. This year, I was pleased to conduct classes offline for the first time in a long time, rather than through Zoom. It felt like the good old days.
I am pleased to have joined the Belarusian pub quiz community in Bialystok, where I currently reside. We frequently organize our own downhome quiz nights, which has its own audience, allowing us to earn some extra income. I enjoy the role of the presenter as it is similar to that of a tour guide, a role I have often performed in Hrodna.
My work was primarily influenced by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day, and I need to sleep for at least 6 of them. Therefore, I did not have time to do everything I wanted to.
I prefer to not describe my personal life changes. In general, I share similarities with others in our field, as we are all affected by the same events and factors. Someone got out of prison — great news. Someone has passed away. It’s a tragic event. That’s it.
In the new year, I aim to enhance the management of our editorial office. We spent the entirety of 2023 in a state of creative chaos, and it is time to put an end to it.
I want to increase my stress tolerance and that of my colleagues. If everyone perceived their work and surroundings with more calmness, it would ease the workload for the entire editorial staff.
I wish my colleagues good health and prosperity – something that is consistently lacking. Everything else is either there or quite easily accessible.
What do I wish for myself? I’ve already made a wish. And I am not going to tell you, because then it will not come true.