Hrodna Journalists Stand for Their Rights

08.02.2005.

The constant ignorance of representatives of non-state press by workers of the board of ideological work of Hrodna Regional Executive Committee was the main reason for the meeting of journalists with the head of this board Uladzimir Amelka. As a result of the meeting members of Hrodna branch of Belarusian Association of Journalists passed to Mr. Amelka the list of the journalists who needed to be invited for official press conferences and petitions with the request to issue to representatives of non-state mass media let-passes to the measures that would take place at the executive committee and also

Being asked about the letters with the recommendations to put ads only in state newspapers that were sent to state enterprises and institutions the head of the ideology board answered that it was his personal initiative with the aim to support the regional newspapers the cost-efficiency of which was only 84%:
-- We don’t force anybody to execute these recommendations, but I have to admit this initiative was untimely, -- pointed Uladzimir Amelka.

The question of access of non-state media correspondents to Hrodna Regional Executive Committee was also raised. Recently the executive committee introduced electronic let-pass cards for its workers, as a result of which it became quite difficult for independent journalists to get there. According to U. Amelka, at present his board made such let-passes only for correspondents of the state newspapers Hrodzenskaya Prawda, Viacherni Hrodna and the state TV and radio company “Hrodna”. The meeting participants proposed to give such let-passes to those workers of independent mass media who need free access to the executive committee for execution of their professional duty. Uladzimir Amelka promised the people present to do what he could.

Monitoring service of Belarusian Association of Journalists