Here is what Ekaterina Tikhomirova, the host of the TV channel Belarus 1 actually said on December 3, 2023:
“...The viewer leaves to state media. Don't believe me? This survey is classified; it was conducted and classified by the liquidated organization “Press Club Belarus”, which is located in Poland. This is not for the public, especially the fugitive ones. But since the research is in our hands, we will declassify it, as required by the narratives of democracy.”
The very “survey” was also mentioned by Ivan Eismont, the chairman of the state-run media holding Belteleradiocompany, when he spoke about the successes of state media on the air of the TV channel Belarus 1, the program “Editors Club” on December 2.
“In Belarus, there was an organization called Press Club Belarus, which is now banned in our country and is located in Poland. They conducted a classified sociological study on the territory of our country to find out the Belarusian citizens' attitudes toward state and non-state media. Some other questions were also asked. We have these data. The authors say that the position of state media is strengthening”, Eismont said.
In fact, the Press Club has not conducted any research. Representatives of the organization announced this on December 4, adding that they had become the object of manipulation by state media:
“The Press Club states that we do not conduct any research, but rather aggregate, analyze and interpret data from various sociological studies. We are doing this so that independent media can better understand media consumption in Belarus, follow the agenda, be with their audience and meet their needs.”
In addition, the spokesperson of the sociological group of the Press Club Belarus noted, that, in the fake “classified study” of the Press Club, the propagandists of the TV channel “Belarus 1” also cited the data of the survey by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences “Factors and conditions for increasing the audience trust in national media in Belarus”, which was published in February 2022.
“The Press Club did analyze these data, but did not conduct the survey,” the sociologist highlighted.
Moreover, propagandists of the TV channel Belarus 1 reported the results of surveys by the British analytical center Chatham House as if it were the Press Club data. Propaganda used the research of the Belarusian independent sociologist Philip Bikanov “Belarusian national identity in 2022: experience of quantitative research” as well. In one case, state media representatives still named Chatham House as the source of the mentioned data.
Ivan Eismont not only attributed to the Press Club a study that it had not conducted but also reported its data selectively.
“In 2022, 47% of respondents indicated that they receive information from television. This is 14% higher than in 2021. In 2021—2022, the share of consumers of TV, social networks and instant messengers increased; and the consumption of information from Internet sites decreased. In 2021, social media was chosen as the main source of information by 34% of respondents, and in 2022 — by 40%.”
However, according to one of the classified research available to the Press Club sociological group, in 2023, the weekly audience share of the Belarusian state media segment remained virtually unchanged (fluctuating around 37—38%), but the level of trust in them increased (from 31 to 35%).
As for Belarusian independent media, the weekly audience share and the level of trust decreased slightly (audience — from 29% to 25%, trust — from 30% to 24%). This is even though almost all Belarusian independent media have the status of extremist, their websites are blocked, and the distribution of their content is criminalized.
In general, Belarusians have become less interested in news. The share of those who actively follow the agenda decreased by 5%. The number of people trying to remain aware of current events has decreased by the same amount. The share of those whose news consumption is situational increased by 10%.