Information Minster in favour of online mass media registration

• 23.04.2008, 13:03

The Information Minister of Belarus Uladzimir Rusakevich believes that news and other websites must be registered as mass media outlets.

“It is necessary for online mass media to be registered as mass media outlets,” told the minister during an online conference at the BELTA web page. As said by him, it would allow solving problems when honour and dignity is insulted, and issues of ownership rights in online mass media. “In this case they would fall within the Law on Mass Media. And now we simply have the web. We know its definition according to the international classification. But we cannot make it fall under the law on Mass Media, though in fact this mass media is very efficient, prompt and developing”, U. Rusakevich said.

The Minister has also expressed certainty that in the near future internet is to become leading in its influence. “According to sociologists, TV takes the first position in its popularity and influence; printed mass media take the second position, the third position is occupied by the radio. Internet is ‘approaching’ them. In the next generation the web is to take the first place, as it includes TV, newspapers, radio and informational agencies. The future belongs to the world wide web as a global communication web,” the information minister of Belarus believes.