CityDog
https://citydog.io/
CityDog describes itself as a "curious media outlet" focusing on uncovering "extraordinary and unusual news, surprising facts, and interesting stories to inspire, educate, entertain, and support Belarusians".
It is a socio-cultural magazine that brings together creative professionals from Minsk, the rest of the country, and around the world. Through its website and social media platforms, the outlet tells the stories of proactive Belarusians, helps readers to grow personally and professionally, and promotes physical and psychological well-being. CityDog's mission is to support and advance a positive agenda focusing on civic and cultural activism. It was one of the country’s first publications to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
CityDog publishes on an array of topics, including urban lifestyle and feature stories, history and socio-political explainers, independent art and culture reviews, and healthy lifestyle recommendations, always with a human-interest perspective, which is part of the editorial policy. It also publishes long reads on how current affairs in Belarus and abroad impact people and their day-to-day lives.
CityDog has always offered relevant news, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 events, but socio-cultural content, including human rights, remains the priority.
As thousands of young Belarusians left the country to avoid repression, CityDog expanded its coverage beyond focusing only on life in the capital of Minsk. Today, it describes itself as "a magazine about Belarusians wherever they are." The publication targets the Belarusian urban youth, particularly women.
CityDog has proved to be particularly popular on its social media channels, such as Instagram and TikTok, which require a strong visual and multimedia focus. It has recently added thematic channels on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Telegram. Examples include Time to See a Psychologist, a mental health channel; This Is How It Was, a unknown Belarusian history channel; and CityHotDog, a weekly video news digest.
Like most other independent media websites, CityDog.io has been blocked in the country since September 2022. Despite this, the magazine reaches over 2 million users monthly across all platforms, with 70% of its current audience located inside Belarus.