Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05MINSK1055
2005-09-06 14:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Minsk
Cable title:
Media Polling: Most Watch, Distrust State News
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHSK #1055/01 2491444 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 061444Z SEP 05 FM AMEMBASSY MINSK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2917 INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3110 RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 2883 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 3341 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA 1391 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW 3009 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0638 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
UNCLAS MINSK 001055
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL, INR
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID/E&E/DGST PETER GRAVES
KIEV FOR AID
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR BO
SUBJECT: Media Polling: Most Watch, Distrust State News
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
UNCLAS MINSK 001055
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL, INR
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID/E&E/DGST PETER GRAVES
KIEV FOR AID
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR BO
SUBJECT: Media Polling: Most Watch, Distrust State News
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) Summary: On September 2 the head of the IISEPS
polling service provided polling results for a June poll
ISEPS conducted on media access in Belarus. The poll found
that a minority of Belarusians have access to satellite TV
or the internet, and that over 80% watch Belarusian state
television news at least weekly. Despite this high rate of
viewership, most Belarusians distrust the official news and
desire alternate sources of information. Unsurprisingly,
age and lack of education correlate highly with state news
viewership and support for Lukashenko. Meanwhile, access to
satellite TV and the internet seems to play some role in
political activism, as measured by membership in parties and
NGOs. Overall, some 80% of Belarusians claim to speak
Russian as their daily language. End summary.
Media Polling
--------------
2. (U) Manaev also provided Poloff the results of a June
IISEPS poll on Belarusians' media habits. The polling found
the following:
Do you have access to the following at home or work?
Satellite television 17.1%
FM radio 61.9
AM or shortwave radio 28.3
Internet 21.0
How often do you watch news on Belarusian state television?
Daily 31.9%
Few times a week 31.3
Once a week 18.0
Once a month 9.1
Never 8.7
How do you rate the accurateness and objectivity of state TV
news?
Very accurate 21.5%
Somewhat accurate 38.7
Rarely accurate 21.3
Not accurate 16.3
Is there enough information about the situation in Belarus,
or would you prefer alternate sources of information?
Enough 32.4%
Would like more 66.4
3. (SBU) Manaev concludes from the above questions that
there is a demand in Belarus for more independent news
sources.
4. (U) IISEPS also cross-tabulated its media results with
its regular political polling questions to find how
Belarusians who have access to different sources of
information rate the political scene. These cross tabs
found the following:
Are you pleased with how Lukashenko is handling his
presidency?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT*
Very pleased 6.0% 16.1 11.0 5.9 38.9
Somewhat 34.6 38.8 40.4 30.6 42.7
More displeased 32.6 26.6 31.4 29.2 13.0
Very displeased 26.2 18.2 17.0 34.0 4.8
*BT denotes those who watch state television news daily
Would you vote to re-elect Lukashenko, or is it time to give
someone else the chance to do better?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Re-elect Luka 20.9% 34.6 30.0 17.5 64.5
Someone else 66.6 53.2 56.4 68.6 22.6
Hard to answer 12.1 12.0 13.3 13.5 12.0
If Lukashenko runs for a third term, how will you vote?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
For Lukashenko 11.5% 22.2 17.5 9.2 46.2
Leaning to
Lukashenko 12.7 16.9 17.3 12.9 21.1
Leaning to dem
Candidate 24.5 14.2 16.4 21.5 7.2
For democratic
Candidate 16.5 12.2 14.9 22.0 2.8
For neither 6.0 4.9 6.2 6.9 2.0
Undecided 28.8 29.6 27.7 27.5 20.7
5. (U) Unsurprisingly, the IISEPS poll found that most
Belarusians who watch state news daily are over 50 years of
age (63.5%),have monthly salaries below USD 110 (69.5%),
and are less educated (74% high school or less).
6. (U) A surprising finding is that there is little direct
correlation between salary and access to satellite
television or the internet. In fact, 74.6% of those with
access to satellite television earn between USD 70 to USD
220 a month, while 69.3% of those with internet access fall
into the same salary range. The only major difference is
more (16.3% vs. 9.9%) people earning less than USD 70/month
have internet access compared to satellite TV. This
statistic presumably reflects students with access through
their schools. There are no major salary differences
between those with access to FM or AM/SW radio.
7. (U) Access to independent or external information does
appear to affect, at least in a limited manner, political
activism:
Do you belong to any political parties or NGOs?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Party member 3.9% 1.1 1.6 2.5 0.6
NGO member 11.5 8.8 11.8 13.8 6.0
Neither 84.9 90.2 86.2 83.3 93.1
8. (U) What language do you use in your everyday life?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Belarusian 7.5% 10.0 12.9 6.1 16.1
Russian 82.9 85.7 79.6 90.5 72.0
Both 4.7 2.2 3.7 1.9 5.2
A hybrid of both 3.3 1.7 3.1 0.5 6.3
9. (SBU) Comment: It is unsurprising, given state media's
core demographic and its blatant editorial bias, that those
who watch state news daily are much more likely to support
Lukashenko. Some of the support for an alternate candidate
by those with access to satellite TV and the internet is
likely a result of who has access - younger professionals
with higher educations. However, as the data on party and
NGO membership shows, it is likely that having access to
outside sources of information results in greater political
activism and personal participation, which in the Belarusian
context means greater opposition to Lukashenko.
PHLIPOT
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DRL, INR
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID/E&E/DGST PETER GRAVES
KIEV FOR AID
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR BO
SUBJECT: Media Polling: Most Watch, Distrust State News
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
1. (SBU) Summary: On September 2 the head of the IISEPS
polling service provided polling results for a June poll
ISEPS conducted on media access in Belarus. The poll found
that a minority of Belarusians have access to satellite TV
or the internet, and that over 80% watch Belarusian state
television news at least weekly. Despite this high rate of
viewership, most Belarusians distrust the official news and
desire alternate sources of information. Unsurprisingly,
age and lack of education correlate highly with state news
viewership and support for Lukashenko. Meanwhile, access to
satellite TV and the internet seems to play some role in
political activism, as measured by membership in parties and
NGOs. Overall, some 80% of Belarusians claim to speak
Russian as their daily language. End summary.
Media Polling
--------------
2. (U) Manaev also provided Poloff the results of a June
IISEPS poll on Belarusians' media habits. The polling found
the following:
Do you have access to the following at home or work?
Satellite television 17.1%
FM radio 61.9
AM or shortwave radio 28.3
Internet 21.0
How often do you watch news on Belarusian state television?
Daily 31.9%
Few times a week 31.3
Once a week 18.0
Once a month 9.1
Never 8.7
How do you rate the accurateness and objectivity of state TV
news?
Very accurate 21.5%
Somewhat accurate 38.7
Rarely accurate 21.3
Not accurate 16.3
Is there enough information about the situation in Belarus,
or would you prefer alternate sources of information?
Enough 32.4%
Would like more 66.4
3. (SBU) Manaev concludes from the above questions that
there is a demand in Belarus for more independent news
sources.
4. (U) IISEPS also cross-tabulated its media results with
its regular political polling questions to find how
Belarusians who have access to different sources of
information rate the political scene. These cross tabs
found the following:
Are you pleased with how Lukashenko is handling his
presidency?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT*
Very pleased 6.0% 16.1 11.0 5.9 38.9
Somewhat 34.6 38.8 40.4 30.6 42.7
More displeased 32.6 26.6 31.4 29.2 13.0
Very displeased 26.2 18.2 17.0 34.0 4.8
*BT denotes those who watch state television news daily
Would you vote to re-elect Lukashenko, or is it time to give
someone else the chance to do better?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Re-elect Luka 20.9% 34.6 30.0 17.5 64.5
Someone else 66.6 53.2 56.4 68.6 22.6
Hard to answer 12.1 12.0 13.3 13.5 12.0
If Lukashenko runs for a third term, how will you vote?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
For Lukashenko 11.5% 22.2 17.5 9.2 46.2
Leaning to
Lukashenko 12.7 16.9 17.3 12.9 21.1
Leaning to dem
Candidate 24.5 14.2 16.4 21.5 7.2
For democratic
Candidate 16.5 12.2 14.9 22.0 2.8
For neither 6.0 4.9 6.2 6.9 2.0
Undecided 28.8 29.6 27.7 27.5 20.7
5. (U) Unsurprisingly, the IISEPS poll found that most
Belarusians who watch state news daily are over 50 years of
age (63.5%),have monthly salaries below USD 110 (69.5%),
and are less educated (74% high school or less).
6. (U) A surprising finding is that there is little direct
correlation between salary and access to satellite
television or the internet. In fact, 74.6% of those with
access to satellite television earn between USD 70 to USD
220 a month, while 69.3% of those with internet access fall
into the same salary range. The only major difference is
more (16.3% vs. 9.9%) people earning less than USD 70/month
have internet access compared to satellite TV. This
statistic presumably reflects students with access through
their schools. There are no major salary differences
between those with access to FM or AM/SW radio.
7. (U) Access to independent or external information does
appear to affect, at least in a limited manner, political
activism:
Do you belong to any political parties or NGOs?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Party member 3.9% 1.1 1.6 2.5 0.6
NGO member 11.5 8.8 11.8 13.8 6.0
Neither 84.9 90.2 86.2 83.3 93.1
8. (U) What language do you use in your everyday life?
Satellite FM AM/SW Internet BT
Belarusian 7.5% 10.0 12.9 6.1 16.1
Russian 82.9 85.7 79.6 90.5 72.0
Both 4.7 2.2 3.7 1.9 5.2
A hybrid of both 3.3 1.7 3.1 0.5 6.3
9. (SBU) Comment: It is unsurprising, given state media's
core demographic and its blatant editorial bias, that those
who watch state news daily are much more likely to support
Lukashenko. Some of the support for an alternate candidate
by those with access to satellite TV and the internet is
likely a result of who has access - younger professionals
with higher educations. However, as the data on party and
NGO membership shows, it is likely that having access to
outside sources of information results in greater political
activism and personal participation, which in the Belarusian
context means greater opposition to Lukashenko.
PHLIPOT