“Publications”The content of Belarusian YouTube channels controlled by the state was analyzed over the four months of the war in Ukraine. Russian military aggression continued for another month, bringing death, violence, destruction of infrastructure, and economic turmoil.
Which posts on the studied Belarusian YouTube channels garnered the most views during the fifth month of hostilities?
The following channels were selected for analysis:
- The information agency BelTA
- ATN: News from Belarus and the World
- It seems like “CTVBY” might be an acronym or a specific term that doesn’t have a direct translation. Could you please provide more context or clarify what you would like to know about it?
- The TV channel ONT
- The First National Channel of Belarusian Radio
- SB TV
Quantitative indicators of the channels from June 24 to July 24, 2022:
On the channelThe information agency BelTAA total of 54 videos were uploaded, which garnered 3,617,660 views. On the channelATN: News from Belarus and the WorldA total of 98 videos were uploaded, which gathered 1,915,792 views. On the channelThe TV channel ONTA total of 89 videos were uploaded, which gathered 870,585 views. On the channelThe First National Channel of Belarusian RadioA total of 47 videos were uploaded, which gathered 421,545 views. On the channelSB TVA total of 137 videos were uploaded, which garnered over 401,749 views. On the channelIt seems that “CTVBY” does not provide enough context or content for translation. If you have a specific text or phrase you would like translated, please provide it, and I’ll be happy to assist!A total of 32 videos were posted, which garnered 400,489 views.
The sharp decline in the number of views is one of the reasons why the examined YouTube channels are not used for disinforming the Russian internet audience.The information agency BelTA
Five videos gathered 1,766,965 views. In addition to the video discussing the death of the famous singer from the USSR, Yuri Shatunov, there is a promotional video about the country’s leader’s diet and two expert opinions. Both experts are Russian:Russian political scientist, candidate of political sciences Dmitry Evstafiev; political analyst of the media group “Russia Today” Vladimir Kornilov.
ATN: News from Belarus and the World
Five videos have gathered 922,727 views. All five contain misleading information that deceives the Belarusian television and internet audience.The TV channel ONT
Five videos have gathered 340,835 views. It is evident that the distorted, conspiracy-laden perspective on geopolitics by political scientist Sergey Kuryagin consistently attracts interest from the online audience. You can watch about the Israeli expert who permanently resides in the Russian Federation.“Here”Of course, there were “exposé” and disinformation pieces about the deaths of the volunteers of the Kalinowski Regiment, fighting on the side of the Ukrainian armed forces:
As can be seen, they did not gather a large number of views.The First National Channel of Belarusian Radio
Five videos have gathered 314,482 views. An interview with Agence France-Presse was published two days ago, and the increase in views is expected to start next working week. Once again, this somewhat “mysterious” channel had some exclusive rights to publish concerts from the “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk.”SB TV
Five videos gathered 98,946 views. Belarusian.Political scientist, publicist, and historian Vadim Gigin plays the role of a creator of new Belarusian narratives. In particular, he is currently promoting the term “sovereign civil society,” leading the Soviet-era organization “Knowledge.” This gives him the opportunity to attempt to revive the Soviet ideological and educational foundation.Of course, unfortunately, this channel has also not been free of misinformation about the war in Ukraine. It is enough to evaluate the titles of the posts:
This position of the largest state publishing enterprise raises significant concerns about the independence of editorial policy.It seems that “CTVBY” does not appear to be a word or phrase that requires translation. If you meant something specific or if it is an acronym, please provide more context or clarify, and I would be happy to assist you!
Five videos have gathered 248,198 views. The majority of the content contains misleading information about the war in Ukraine, the global economy, the politics of neighboring countries in the European Union, and NATO members. There is unequivocal support expressed for Russian aggression.
During a war that has dragged on unimaginably long, with each passing day, there can be no best solutions. However, Belarusian media, especially those funded by the state, i.e., by Belarusian taxpayers, must remember the non-involvement of the Republic of Belarus in the aggressive military actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as declared by the current regime, and objectively reflect the news agenda. Historical experience shows that media siding with the aggressor country is strategically harmful for the future of a country not involved in the conflict.
The data was obtained using social media monitoring platforms Buzzsumo, HypeAuditor, and SocialBlade. This publication was prepared by the Baltic Internet Policy Initiative.
