Last fakes of the week
27 мая 2026
“Turned out to be a lie.” A state media expert compared the wheat harvest in Lithuania to the total grain harvest in Belarus
Iryna Novikava, a professor and Doctor of Economic Sciences who heads the Department of Economics at the Belarusian State Technological University, said that Belarus harvested 9 million tons of wheat, while Lithuania harvested half that amount. In this way, she attempted to argue that claims of Lithuanian agriculture’s greater efficiency are false. However, in Belarus, the 9 million tons figure refers to the total harvest of all grains and legumes, not wheat alone.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, Belarus, First Information TV Channel news.by, First national channel of Belarusian radio, Irina Novikova, economy, achievements.
26 мая 2026
“We should just wait and see — they will die out on their own.” Two demographic fakes by Ksenia Lebedzeva about the Baltic States
Ksenia Lebedzeva, a presenter on the First Information TV Channel, that Lithuania was dying out and that Latvia supposedly actually had fewer than one million residents. She correctly cited the birth and death rate figures in Lithuania, but failed to mention that the situation was similar in Belarus. The claim about Latvia’s population is a fabrication.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Radio Minsk, First Information TV Channel news.by, Ksenia Lebedzeva, demography.
25 мая 2026
“Lithuania is doing poorly.” News.by downplayed its neighbor’s investment achievements
The presenter of the First Information TV Channel stated that investments were decreasing and that the industry was in decline in Lithuania. She cited data on 13 investment projects and €15 million in investments as proof. However, these numbers only apply to a six-month period, not to the entire year 2025. The annual performance was significantly higher.
misrepresentation, Lithuania, First Information TV Channel news.by, Ksenia Lebedzeva, economy.
23 мая 2026
Hihin stated that one-third of Germans sympathize with Hitler. However, he mixed up the polls
Vadzim Hihin stated that nearly one-third of Germans consider Adolf Hitler to be a hero or a positive figure. However, polling data does not support this claim. The MP has presented an evaluation of the Nazi era as an evaluation of Hitler’s personality.
misrepresentation, Germany, First Information TV Channel news.by, Vadzim Hihin, Nazism, celebrities.
22 мая 2026
“Potato prices have skyrocketed eightfold.” How News.by framed the exchange market price growth as a food crisis in Europe
A report by the First Information TV Channel claimed that Europe is on the verge of a food crisis, with potato prices reportedly skyrocketing to eight times their usual price. This is manipulation: the growth concerns exchange-traded prices, not retail prices. Although they have rebounded from record lows, they remain below levels seen in 2023 and early 2025.
misrepresentation, European Union, First Information TV Channel news.by, rising prices, food crisis.