Nexta

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Nexta
White letter "N" in blue circle with red chat box extending upwards.
Nexta Logo
StatusActive
Founded2015
Founder [ru]
Country of originBelarus
Headquarters locationWarsaw, Poland
DistributionOnline
Key people [ru], Roman Protasevich, Tadeusz Giczan
Official websitenexta.tv

Nexta (pronounced "niekh-ta", Belarusian pronunciation: [nʲexta]) is a Belarusian media outlet that is primarily distributed through Telegram and YouTube channels. It became the biggest Telegram channel in Belarus as the primary source of news covering events that followed Belarusian rallies in 2020–2021. The Telegram channel mostly features short videos and images submitted by users taken during the rallies, while longer original videos are shared on YouTube. Nexta was founded by  [ru] and Roman Protasevich.[1][2] The channel's headquarters are located in Warsaw, Poland, after its founders went into exile.[3]

Since October 2020, Nexta and its logo are considered extremist content in Belarus. Since October 2021, NEXTA, NEXTA Live and Luxta and also classified as extremist organisations.

Name[]

The name "Nexta" is a play on the Belarusian word нехта, meaning "someone", and the English word "next", as in the "next generation".[4] It is pronounced as "nekhta" and not as "neksta".[5]

History[]

Foundation[]

Nexta was founded in 2015 as a YouTube music channel for the band of same name by  [ru],[6] a son of a sports journalist and a commentator on Belsat TV-channel.[7] The first video that was uploaded was a video clip under title ‘No Way Out’, dedicated to the 2015 Belarusian presidential election and massive falsifications. The KGB immediately demonstrated interest in Nexta. In that time Putilo was still going to school, the law enforcement made visits to find out about him.[8] In 2017 the band broke up and Putilo started using the channel to ‘accumulate the trash happening in Lukashenko’s Belarus’, making weekly reviews of state news. In that time independent media with video were scarce and Nexta soon became popular.[6] Putilo’s film under title ‘They Are Sentenced to Death’ was uploaded to YouTube in 2017 and soon gained 5.5 mln views. The film ‘Lukashenko. Criminal Files’ raised wide public outcry, Putilo became a non-grata person in Belarus.[8]

In Autumn 2018 Putilo launched the Nexta Live Telegram channel. On the very first day more than 2000 subscribers from YouTube joined it.[7]

In 2018 Putilo was charged with ‘offending the president’. His mother’s apartment was searched by the law enforcement.[7]

In 2019 Roman Protasevich joined Nexta, the team grew to four men.[9] The channel mostly used user-generated content, sometimes it was sent anonymously even from the police officers.[10] As stated by the founders, Nexta survived on selling ads.[11]

Conflict With Government-Controlled TV-Channels[]

In 2018 the Belarusian Telegraph Agency accused Putilo of stealing their videos. The blogger complained that he received reports from fake personalities with complaints of copyright violation. Putilo explained that in his films no more than 20 % of footage were taken from state TV-channels, which monopolized all video content related to Lukashenko.[12] At that time Nexta’s YouTube channel had more than 200000 subscribers. Putilo explained that according to the Belarusian law, citations from TV shows were allowed to be used for analytical, evaluational, and informational purposes. Since the conflict, he started deleting the logos from his content.[13]

Slonim’s Mayor Court Case[]

Chudentsov Case[]

On November 21, 2019, the journalist Vladimir Chudentsov, who collaborated with Nexta, was arrested by Belarusian customs officers as he was about to cross the border into Poland. The state officials claim they found 0.87 grams of cannabis in his clothes. Reporters Without Borders commented that it questions the circumstances of Chudentsov's arrest. After his arrest, NEXTA posted a video in support of Chudentsov.[14] Chudentsov was sentenced to 5.5 years in jail. Stepan Putilo thinks that Chudensov became a victim of the revenge of Belarusian state authorities because he took part in the production of a documentary film on Alexander Lukashenko.[15]

2020 Protests in Belarus[]

Main article: 2020–2021 Belarusian protests

After the first cases of brutal police violence people started gathering on central squares in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on protest rallies, demanding re-elections and immediate release of all detained citizen.[16] Nationwide protests were not covered by the state-controlled media, the Internet was completely shut down for several days. Other independent sources of information (such as Tut.by) were blocked. Nexta managed to bypass most of the blackout, the authorities were unable to restrict access to Telegram groups to the same extent. They published data sent by users, such as current-time locations of the police blocks and patrols, times and spots to gather, pleas for help from the protesters, facts and photos of law enforcement violence, etc.[11][10][17] Only between the 9th and the 16th of August, 2020, the number of subscribers to Nexta Live grew from 300000 to 2 mln.[7] As of August 2020, Nexta had more than 740000 subscribers on YouTube and Telegram channels.[7]

Nexta was pressured by the Belarusian government for coordinating with activists during the protests, including giving detailed instructions as to where and when protests should take place, which according to some journalists means that Nexta is not a journalistic news source.[18] It has also been criticised for publishing unverified information.[19] Protasevich and Putilo received numerous threats both from the Belarusian regime, they experienced massive attacks from  [ru].[20][21]

In September 2020 Nexta expanded and grew into an editors office, they hired more journalists and developed thematic departments.[20]

Extremism accusations and bans[]

In October 2020 Nexta channel and its logo were declared extremist materials in Belarus.[22][23] By that time Nexta and Nexta Live had near 2 mln subscribers.[24] Putilo promised to re-brand the channel.[25] In a month, the authorities opened a criminal case against Putilo and Protasevich, accusing him for ‘organizing the mass riot’.[26]

As of March 2021, the Belarusian Investigative Committee was seeking to recognize Nexta's editorial board as a ‘foreign extremist agent’.[27]

In May 2021 Denis Urad, a former officer of the Belarusian Army, was sentenced to 18 years for treason. He was accused for disclosing to Nexta copies of the MVD request from the Ministry of Defence to send 4000 soldiers during the protests of 2020.[28]

In October 2021 the government classified Nexta, Nexta Live and Luxta as 'extremist organisations' and declared that all followers of such Telegram channels will face prosecution under Criminal Code.[29][30]

Protasevich Arrest[]

Main article: Ryanair Flight 4978

Tadeusz Giczan became Editor-in-chief after Roman Protasevich shifted to the "Belarus of the Brain" Telegram channel formerly edited by a detained blogger, Ihar Losik.[31][32]

On his way to Vilnius back from vacation in Greece, Roman Protasevich was arrested by Belarusian authorities after his flight, Ryanair Flight 4978, was diverted to Minsk on the orders of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko on 23 May 2021, because of a false bomb threat conveyed by Belarusian air traffic control.[33][34]

Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Who is Roman Protasevich? Belarus dissident journalist in profile". BBC News. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Inside Nexta: The journalists taking on Belarus' regime". BBC News. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  3. ^ Kingsley, Patrick (4 September 2020). "The 22-Year-Old Coordinating Protests in Belarus, From a Small Office in Poland". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ^ "NEXTA: There Is a Desire to Accumulate All Trash of Lukashenka's Belarus". charter97.org. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. ^ Poskannaya, Elena (12 August 2020). "Главред белорусского Telegram-канала NEXTA Протасевич: Остается большая надежда вернуться в Минск, перевезти туда редакцию и работать в свободной стране". GORDON (in Russian).
  6. ^ a b Kuandikova, J. (25 May 2021). "NEXTA Live — самый популярный Telegram-канал о протестах в Беларуси, который читают более миллиона человек. Откуда он взялся и кто его делает?" (in Russian). Esquire. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e Юзбекова, И. (16 August 2020). "Как четыре человека создали главный Telegram-канал белорусского протеста с аудиторией 2 млн под��исчиков" [How 4 Men Launched Main Protest Channel with 2 Mln Audience in Belarus]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b Kishinevsky, D. (16 August 2020). "Эксклюзивное интервью с основателем NEXTA: мы – голос революции в Беларуси, но стали им поневоле" [Exclusive Interview with Nexta Founder: We Became Voice of Revolution Against Our Wills] (in Russian). Delfi.it. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  9. ^ Goryashko, S. (12 August 2020). ""Мне не по себе от кадров, где люди с дырками в теле". Интервью главреда Nexta - крупнейшего протестного канала в Беларуси" (in Russian). BBC. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Belarus election: How Nexta channel bypassed news blackout". BBC News. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Belarus on the brink". The Bella. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. ^ "БТ хочет уничтожить NEXTA. После страйков против «Белсата» госканал добивается удаления youtube-канала блогера" [BelTa Strives to Crush NEXTA. And Delete Youtube Channel of Stepan Svetlov] (in Russian). Belsat. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  13. ^ ""Просто удалю логотипы". Youtube-канал Светлова блокируют из-за жалоб БТ" (in Russian). EuroRadio. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Was Belarusian journalist held on drug charge framed?". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Was Belarusian journalist held on drug charge framed?". Belsat (in Russian). Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  16. ^ "'This is an information war' The founder of Belarus's most popular opposition Telegram channel talks to Russian YouTuber Yuri Dud". Meduza. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  17. ^ "The 22-Year-Old Coordinating Protests in Belarus, From a Small Office in Poland". The NY Times. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  18. ^ Kingsley, Patrick (4 September 2020). "The 22-Year-Old Coordinating Protests in Belarus, From a Small Office in Poland". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Belarus election: How Nexta channel bypassed news blackout". BBC News. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  20. ^ a b Demidkina, K. (24 May 2021). "«Окончательное уничтожение свободы слова»: основатель Nexta Степан Путило о задержании Романа Протасевича и падении доходов проекта" [‘Final Shot Into Freedom of Speech’: Nexta Founder Stepan Putilo on Protasevich Detainment]. Forbes (in Russian). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Belarus journalist Roman Protasevich's colleagues fear for their lives". BBC. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  22. ^ "Belarusian court declares opposition Telegram channel 'Nexta' extremist". Meduza. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Belarus's Shocking New Low in Crushing Dissent". Human Rights Watch. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  24. ^ Demidova, O. (20 October 2020). "В Беларуси признали экстремистским Telegram-канал Nexta" (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  25. ^ Polyakova, V. (20 October 2020). "Суд в Белоруссии признал экстремистскими Telegram-канал и логотип Nexta" (in Russian). RBK. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Belarusian authorities open criminal case against creators of opposition Telegram channel 'Nexta'". Meduza. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  27. ^ "Belarus' Investigative Committee seeks to recognize NEXTA as foreign extremist group". TASS. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Офицера белорусской армии приговорили к 18 годам колонии по делу о госизмене" [Former Belarus Army Officer Sentenced to 18 Years] (in Russian). Echo Moscow Radiostation. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  29. ^ "В Беларуси хотят сажать за подписку на телеграм-каналы, которые власти считают экстремистскими" (in Russian). BBC Russia. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Belarus classifies social media channels as 'extremist' in new crackdown". Reuters. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  31. ^ "Протасевич: теперь работаю в проекте "Беларусь головного мозга" Игоря Лосика" [Protasiewicz: now working in Igor Losik's brain Belarus project]. Новости Беларуси | euroradio.fm (in Russian). 2 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  32. ^ Vock, Ido (26 May 2021). "'It wouldn't be difficult to do something nasty to us': Nexta's Tadeusz Giczan on Belarus's transnational repression". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  33. ^ "Plane carrying Belarusian opposition figure ordered to divert to Minsk by President Alexander Lukashenko". www.abc.net.au. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Мария Колесникова рассказала о попытках склонить ее к интервью на госканале «а-ля Протасевич»" [Maria Kalesnikava Says She Was Offered to Make Movie Like Protasevich] (in Russian). TV Rain. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  35. ^ NEXTA: There Is a Desire to Accumulate All Trash of Lukashenka's Belarus
  36. ^ Названы лауреаты премии «Профессия — журналист» // Colta.ru
  37. ^ "Belarusian opposition receives 2020 Sakharov Prize". European Parliament. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  38. ^ Białoruski bloger NEXTA w TOP-5 konkursu Dziennikarz Roku Grand Press 2020
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