Miascovy Cas Paper Suspends Its Publication
- 28.09.2007, 17:14
Miascovy Cas, an independent paper circulating in Pinsk region, said good-bye to its readers on 27 September. The weekly covering social and political issues had been published for four years. It had to close down for financial reasons.
The paper was launched on 25 September 2003. Alaksiej Biely, its Editor-in-Chief, said Miascovy Cas had been facing problems ever since it opened its office in Pinsk. The weekly had been denied accreditation, which entailed complications not only with renting an office, but also obtaining information from official institutions.
In 2003 the managers of a state-owned printing house in Pinsk refused to print Miascovy Cas. The paper had to be printed in Baranavicy and then transported from there. The same year the managers of Brestablsajuzdruk, the state monopolist delivering periodicals, refused to include Miascovy Cas into its subscription catalogue or to sell the paper via the state newsagents.
’Some top officials did not like the region to have a paper that tells the truth, centers on social problems, interviews prominent public and political figures whose views differ from those of the government,’ said Alaksiej Biely, Miascovy Cas Editor-in-Chief to BAJ monitoring service. ‘Even private businessmen, whose problems Miascovy Cas covered more than once, have decided against taking the risk of signing contracts to sell our paper.’
According to Alaksiej Biely, even those who considered MC readers their target group and were longing for social transformations were scared to advertise in Miascovy Cas. ‘But a paper is a business. If it receives no revenues from adverts, it is very difficult to survive,’ says the Editor-in-Chief.
It all led to a fall in circulation from 2500 to 1300 copies. (The latter was the print-run of Miascovy Cas final issue.)
’We tried to make the paper interesting to read. Miascovy Cas covered events in Pinsk and the region, politics and politicians, different events worldwide and so on,’ said Alaksiej Biely. ‘The feedback we received from the readers proved that there was a demand for the information we provided. It gave grounds for optimism, so at first we had no doubt that Miascovy Cas would last forever.’
The editorial board hopes the suspension is temporary and the paper may be renewed in a year or two. ‘We do believe the readers will be looking forward to meeting us again,’ said Viktar Jarasuk, Miascovy Cas Deputy Editor-in-Chief.