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Type | Weekly newspaper |
---|---|
Owner(s) | VPUP Surodzichy |
Editor | Jahor Marcinovič |
Founded | 1906 |
Language | Belarusian (Taraškievica before 2008) |
Circulation | over 6,000[1] |
Website | nashaniva.com |
Nasha Niva (Belarusian: Наша Ніва, romanized: Naša Niva, lit. "Our field") is one of the oldest Belarusian weekly newspapers, founded in 1906 and re-established in 1991. Nasha Niva became a cultural symbol, due to the newspaper's importance as a publisher of Belarusian literature and as a pioneer of Belarusian language journalism, the years before the October Revolution are often referred to as the 'Nasha Niva Period'.[2][3][4]
In the period between 1906 and 1915 the newspaper was published on a weekly basis. From 1991 to 1995 it appeared once a month, reverting to weekly publication in 1996 and then fortnightly in 1997–1999. In 1999 the paper became a weekly again.[5][6]
Nasha Niva Online (nn.by) was set up in 1997. By 2017 it had become the most frequently visited website in the Belarusian language.[7]
According to Media IQ estimation, Nasha Niva remains free of state propaganda and keeps one of the highest ratings in journalism ethics among Belarusian media.[8][9] Being in open opposition to Alexander Lukashenko's regime, the newspaper was cracked down by the government numerous times, received huge fines and was excluded from state circulation. The editors and journalists were arrested, questioned and beaten by the police and KGB officers.[10]
As of 2020 the editor-in-chief is Jahor Marcinovič, who succeeded Andrej Dyńko.[11][12]
On July 8, 2021, the newspaper's website was blocked by the authorities. The editor-in-chief Jahor Marcinovič and editor Andrej Skurko were detained, their homes and the office being searched.[13] On July 13 the publication announced its closure in Belarus due to growing pressure from the authorities.[14] The employees were advised to move abroad. The editor's office claimed that they would try to re-launch the newspaper outside Belarus.[15][16] The new website was launched on July 29, 2021; the content was uploaded from the publication's social networks and Telegram channel.[17]
On January 27, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus declared Nasha Niva 'an extremist formation'.[18][19][20] On March 15, 2022, Marcinovič and Skurko were sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for estimated material damage of 10,000 Belarusian rubles ($3000).[19]
On August 15, 2022, Nasha Niva launched a Ukrainian-language Telegram channel,[21] so that Ukrainians could obtain independent and objective information from Belarus.[22]
On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day (February 21) in 2023, a machine-converted website edition of Nasha Niva in Łacinka (that is, the Belarusian Latin alphabet)[23] was launched.[24][25]
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