Censorship in information space is increasing - Russian journalist

The Belarusian media community forum has become an excellent platform for exchanging experiences among colleagues

The Belarusian media community forum has become an excellent platform for exchanging experiences among colleagues. Journalists from different countries gathered in Grodno to discuss current work practices, share professional developments, and understand the current issues of concern to editorial staff.

Ivan Sinichkin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta Editorial Board

Ivan Sinichkin, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta Editorial Board, expressed his opinion on the recent blocking of the international editorial office of Belarusian Radio. He also offered a brief forecast for future developments in the global information space.

"Indeed, both before, several years ago, and in 2020, we all saw how information resources—both Belarusian and Russian—were blocked," noted Ivan Sinichkin. "We understand and already know that all social networks have their own algorithms and their own owners, who decide how communication in a given country should be managed and how information should be disseminated. Today, we are seeing accounts being blocked, closed, and deleted. This is having a severe impact on the dissemination of reliable, important, and high-quality information in the media."

When asked how the confrontation in the information space will develop further, the journalist replied:

"I don't even rule out complete shutdowns of Western services on their part—not on ours. They, for their part, will simply block access to us. Not only because they will try to force countries to take this step. While Russia already has its own ecosystem, for Belarus this is also a kind of testing ground."

Ivan Sinichkin emphasized that influence over digital platforms allows external forces to influence public sentiment and social views within states that restrict access to these platforms.