BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
14/02/2008
International students reflect on the US media
Emily Southwick
Many international students make adjustments upon arrival to the University of Maine. For some, it is the winter temperatures and snow banks, for others it is the food, the English language or strange customs. One difference that affects everyone is the media.
Iryna Hlushakova, a mass communication graduate student from Molodechno, Belarus, recognizes the distinctions between the media systems in the U.S. and her home country. Belarus media is government controlled and heavily censored.
"Usually if we have anything independent it starts off somewhere abroad or it's underground." She said there are few journalists still attempting to beat the system.
Even when a private newspaper does survive, it's not for long. In 1996, President Alexander Lukashenko created a referendum declaring any speech against the president, government or constitution illegal.
"Usually [that] makes up for zero freedom of expression," Hlushakova said. "You can voice your alternative opinion as long as it doesn't go along the lines that are published through the state media outlets." The media have even fewer rights than individuals.
"You can imagine what happens to the media if the opposition cannot even convene anywhere," she said.
Owners of venues, like restaurants which could be used for convening, are warned by the government that they will get into trouble if they allow the opposition to gather at their site.
Hlushakova is a teacher's assistant for CMJ 100, Introduction to Mass Communication.
"I try to remind students at the beginning of every semester: look, you might take things for granted, you have the Constitution, you have the First Amendment, you can speak your mind. And you can say you dislike your president and whine about it. Or, say, 'I hate him,' and nothing will happen to you." She said people who are critical of their government must remain quiet in Belarus.
"If I was saying all of this at home, I'd be gone very soon," Hlushakova said seriously.
Quickly turning to a smile, she described the feeling of being in America today.
"You kind of feel free," she said. "You can talk about things and not be afraid that somebody is listening or somebody will report you."
Living in a country without protected speech has taught her to appreciate and respect her freedom here. Even so, she is still concerned.
"Sometimes it's too much freedom, sometimes it's a little bit abused," she said, discussing the need to find a balance when it comes to free speech. As a student of mass communication, she believes in its importance, but said people in the media have become desperate to get to breaking news and seek conflict. They often don't take into consideration the people behind the stories and think of the possible consequences of what they report.
Hlushakova explained that the Belarusian media's agenda does not reflect a positive attitude about the United States.
"It's traditional to see the U.S. as the enemy," she said.
In turn, average citizens are biased against the U.S., according to Hlushakova. In their defense, she said it's "because they don't know any better" and do not have much access to the Internet. She has been studying international journalism since high school and completed her undergraduate degree at an American university in Belarus, giving her a more balanced view of the U.S. before moving to Massachusetts five years ago at age 19.
At 24-years old, Hlushakova feels less personal influence from the media, but believes that it has the same affect on young Belarusian teens as it does on Americans.
"I've heard from American parents, as well as at home, so if you take that as a merit of the influence of media it would be the same way. What they see on TV kind of comes through life."
Popular entertainment is Russian-influenced as Belarus does not have the financial ability to produce its own shows.
Hlushakova hopes to continue at UMaine for her Ph.D. in communication or new media after graduation in May and will continue her work in the journalism department in Dunn Hall for at least one more year.
"There's a lot of things I used to laugh at, like the road signs that say 'turn left only' or stuff like that," she said, recalling her first impression of the U.S. "In Europe, you just have an arrow and that's it. Things like that amused me [when I first came here]. Other than that, it wasn't anything utterly shocking or striking because I've always been a very flexible person and I adjust very fast."
Source:
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