{"id":11386,"date":"2022-03-28T08:52:50","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T05:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/lukasenka-pins-hopes-on-propaganda\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"lukasenka-pins-hopes-on-propaganda","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/","title":{"rendered":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government conference on March 25. Propaganda helps his regime to defend its involvement in Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and disguise its severe economic consequences.<\/b>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t \u201cI don\u2019t know why they belied and maligned this word. Propaganda was and is here to stay forever. But we\u2019d better propagandize all the best things,\u201d the Belarusian leader said.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\tZombified Zombies <\/span>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/h2>\n

\n\t The Luka\u0161enka regime has ramped up propaganda in the last few months to disguise its failures. The Belarusian ruler, reliant on the Kremlin for his political survival, has become a pawn in the Kremlin\u2019s military gamble. Russian generals use Belarus as a staging ground for attacks on Ukraine and have no regard for the local commander in chief, who promised Kyiv a few years ago that he would not let anyone attack Ukraine from Belarus. Belarusians have started to feel the pain of Western economic sanctions.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Luka\u0161enka with his Soviet mentality has always treated the media as his mouthpiece and has attacked free voices. He clearly exaggerates the power of propaganda and the role of state television networks in delivering it.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Last year he said that the Internet would fade and described television as \u201ca way of life and a way of thinking.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Belarusian state television is a way of thinking only for the Luka\u0161enka stalwarts. State television channels are the key source of information for 38 percent of Belarusians, found a February survey by Andrej Vardamacki\u2019s Belarusian Analytical Workshop. The social media and blogs are the key source of news for 41 percent of Belarusians.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Only 20 percent of Belarusians watch TV for information about developments in Ukraine, according to another poll conducted in March by Chatham House among Belarusians living in towns and cities. State media audiences tend to support Moscow and hope that Russia will win. But most Moscow supporters do not want Belarus to step into the fray.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t State propaganda is consumed by those who already preach government narratives. False realities galvanize kindred spirits, confirm their picture of the world and zombify zombies already zombified.\n<\/p>\n

Regime cannot use subtle methods<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t In 2020 and 2021 the regime cracked down on private media, forcing many journalists and outlets to flee the country. Police continue to persecute Belarusians for their likes of Facebook <\/span>posts and subscription to what they call extremist Telegram channels.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The list of extremist content and media includes dozens of outlets, including BelaPAN<\/span>, Belsat TV<\/span>, RFE\/RL <\/span>Belarus Service, Na\u0161a Niva and NEXTA<\/span>, a Poland-based media organization with nearly 1.8 million subscribers on the Telegram messenger application. Desperate to silence NEXTA<\/span>, authorities consider adding it to a list of terrorist groups.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Meanwhile, the Kremlin\u2019s propaganda has taken advantage of the Belarusian government\u2019s attack on independent media to fill the vacuum. The Belarusian state media disseminate and amplify Russian narratives.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Despite heavy losses, Belarusian independent media have retained hundreds of thousands subscribers. But they rely on support from democratic countries for survival. Belarusian journalists have problems with legalization, visas and bank accounts in some EU countries.\n<\/p>\n

Advertisers forced to finance propaganda<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t Luka\u0161enka acknowledged that the state media face tight competition from independent outlets. \u201cIt is probably too early to say that our information dominates and that we are winning there,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He promised to continue funding state media organizations, \u201cif we see a normal impact.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He indicated that he considers issuing an edict to obligate advertisers to place ads only on the pro-government media, \u201cnot on some mad ones, which have destroyed the state and continue doing it successfully, and are laughing from the outside.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The move may force foreign companies to put advertising campaigns on hold in Belarus.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The private media remaining in Belarus do not dare to criticize the authorities. The government can target outlets that questioned its handling of post-election protests, for instance Onliner.by<\/span>.\n<\/p>\n

Youtube, social media may be banned<\/span> <\/h2>\n

\n\t Luka\u0161enka told officials to consider the pros and cons of banning Youtube <\/span>and other social media. Minsk looks to draw on Russia\u2019s and China\u2019s experience.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Its strategy is quite simple \u2013 silence critics and brainwash Belarusians through state propaganda channels.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It can produce a temporary and limited effect. Obviously, authorities are struggling to convince Belarusians that Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine is fair and that Belarus should send its troops to back Moscow. If sanctions undercut the economy, the refrigerator will be more powerful than the TV set. Many supporters of the regime will start to worry.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Therefore, Luka\u0161enka\u2019s hopes for propaganda are unlikely to materialize.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government conference on March 25. Propaganda helps his regime to defend its involvement in Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine and disguise its severe economic consequences. \u201cI don\u2019t know why they belied and maligned this word. Propaganda was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11386","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLuka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Pozirk_online\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\"},\"headline\":\"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-28T05:52:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\"},\"wordCount\":778,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\",\"name\":\"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-03-28T05:52:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00\",\"description\":\"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Pozirk\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Pozirk\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-Logo_color_512.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-Logo_color_512.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Pozirk\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Pozirk_online\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk","description":"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk","og_description":"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government","og_url":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/","og_site_name":"Pozirk","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/","article_modified_time":"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@Pozirk_online","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/"},"headline":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda","datePublished":"2022-03-28T05:52:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/"},"wordCount":778,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/","url":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/","name":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda | Pozirk","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-03-28T05:52:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13+00:00","description":"By Aliaksandr Klasko\u016dski, BPN Aliaksandr Luka\u0161enka, a former Soviet propaganda officer, lauded the performance of state media outlets at a government","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11386\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Luka\u0161enka pins hopes on propaganda"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/","name":"Pozirk","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#organization","name":"Pozirk","url":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-Logo_color_512.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cropped-Logo_color_512.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Pozirk"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pozirkonline\/","https:\/\/x.com\/Pozirk_online"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/longreads\/11386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/longreads"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/longreads"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"rubric","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rubric?post=11386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}