Newspaper circulation does not decrease when they have online versions - O. Proleskovsky

November 18, Novopolotsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Newspaper circulation does not decline with the availability of their online versions, stated Belarusian Minister of Information Oleg Proleskovsky. He held a reception for citizens today at the public reception office of the Novopolotsk city organization of the public association "Belaya Rus", reports a BELTA correspondent. During the challenging economic years of 2009-2010, subscriptions to national and regional publications did not fall. Moreover, about two-thirds of regional media outlets are self-sufficient. At the insistence of the Ministry of Information, all regional newspapers have launched their own websites this year, which, along with the previously created online versions of national newspapers, are integrated into the online portal of Belarusian media. The task for the near future is to make these websites popular and even profitable, Oleg Proleskovsky stated. He is convinced that newspaper circulation will not suffer as a result. Websites should feature not the full newspaper version, but timely information that will establish a connection between readers and the editorial office. "Websites, especially for non-daily newspapers, facilitate daily communication with readers," the minister believes. An archive of issues will also be created here. Furthermore, the Ministry of Information intends to initiate the placement of official documents that are mandatory for publication on newspaper websites, instead of printing them in the periodicals themselves. According to Oleg Proleskovsky, for such documents, it is sufficient to provide an announcement in the newspapers, and if necessary, readers can visit the newspaper's website to access the full version of the document and even download it. The issue of the necessity of introducing a technical position of website administrator into the staff of newspaper editorial offices also arose at the meeting. Currently, no such staff positions are provided for. -0-