Minister of Information and Social Development Aida Balayeva spoke at the Eurasian Media Forum about the impact of the pandemic on society, especially on the media, including the Kazakh media. The Minister also noted that the coronavirus has changed our daily life habits, and spoke about the work of the domestic media during the pandemic. More in the material of the correspondent of Strategy2050.kz.
Minister of Information and Social Development Aida Balayeva took part in the EAMF session “How the pandemic has changed the world and identified new vectors of global reality.” He noted that the main topic of the forum was how the world has changed since the pandemic.
“First of all, the coronavirus is not a new threat to humans. As you know, plague, smallpox, and other diseases have spread throughout history. However, the spread of this virus is planetary. The pandemic affected people. In the past, masks and protective equipment were rarely used, but now they have become commonplace, “said the Minister.
According to him, the pandemic has led to significant changes in people’s thinking, behavioral stereotypes, management processes and the education system. Also, thanks to information technology, humanity has been able to work in compliance with quarantine measures.
“In a month, the number of coronavirus victims has exceeded 4 million. “Since the beginning of the XXI century, 780 thousand people have died in various conflicts,” the Minister said.
He also noted that the pandemic has reduced transport links between the two countries. According to him, in December 2019, the number of users of the popular service “ZOOM” was 10 million, and in March 2020 it increased to 200 million.
“However, thanks to information technology, we have not lost their appearance, we have completely transferred them to the virtual space. The world immediately responded to the new conditions, “Aida Balayeva said.
He also noted that forced time at home in a confined space has led to interesting changes in traditional ways of obtaining information. According to him, during the quarantine, the rating of Kazakhstani channels increased to 27%.
“According to the calculations of LitRes, in 2020 the demand for e-books on the Android platform in the country will exceed 50%. This was important for a number of publications. At the same time, it helped the creative representatives to create their works, ”Aida Balayeva said
He noted that the pandemic has increased the interest of viewers in television. During the quarantine, the overall rating of Kazakhstani channels increased by 27%. He also noted that the pandemic had a significant impact on the economy. In particular, he focused on macroeconomics. According to him, the macroeconomic situation in the global context decreased by 4.3%. This is 2.5 times more than during the 2009 global financial crisis.
“The information space has become an important tool in the fight against the pandemic coronavirus. Media representatives were at the forefront. In particular, expert opinions were disseminated, various videos and special programs were created. They are aimed at explaining both the strategy of the state and personal responsibility for public self-preservation, “the Minister said.
According to him, the media has gone through two stages. The first is the importance of explaining the need for quarantine, as well as protective measures. At the same time, it ensured the spread of state support measures to prevent the pandemic. Secondly, he noted that the main task now is the need for mass vaccination and the formation of collective immunity.
“Today, the country has reached 60% of vaccinations, which is the result not only of the state apparatus, but also of systematic organizational work. The role of the media is huge here. “Because their constant outreach has helped people get vaccinated,” he said
He also noted that in July 2020, a special Internet resource “StopFake” was created. Since the launch of the site, more than 1,500 false information has been refuted. The content of the project has been viewed more than 15 million times on various platforms.
“In the virtual world, clickbite topics that increase people’s stress are much more important. It is this factor that increases the popularity of many assassins and antivaxers. However, it will have a much larger audience than traditional media, “the Minister said.
In this regard, he noted that the main task of the state is to pay special attention to the professional retraining of modern journalists, including the study of virtual psychology, journalistic ethics, working with scientific databases, memes and other virtual media. It should be the main task of the state.
“Journalists’ knowledge should be modern and in-depth. This distinguishes professional journalists from amateurs. Therefore, this year our Ministry has signed memorandums with leading universities of the country to train industry journalists covering issues of medicine, ecology, religion, law, IT. According to the results of the first half of the year, 4,000 participants took training courses, ”Aida Balayeva said.
The Minister also thanked journalists and media workers for their work and professionalism.
“During the pandemic, journalists, along with health workers, police and teachers, were at the forefront of the fight against COVID. I thank them for their tireless work, “the Minister of Information and Social Development concluded.
Source: Kazakhtan 2050