Bulgarian National Television (BNT) continues to be the most trusted media outlet on the Bulgarian market, according to data from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the chair of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), Simona Veleva, told BNT's morning programme “The Day Begins” on March 12.
Veleva noted that despite the growing role of social media, people still turn to traditional outlets when they need verified and reliable information on important issues.
Simona Veleva, Chairperson of the Council for Electronic Media: "The role of traditional media continues when there is a crisis, when there is an event that is so important for the whole society. I give the example of the attacks in Iran and the attack on the US and Israel that happened just a few days ago. The mainstream media continues to be the most credible source of information and then when we need to be informed on the really important issues for society, the role of professional journalism is what can take us forward and give us credible information because it is a fact that misinformation online is a huge problem."
“Traditional media continue to play their role in times of crisis or when events of major importance to society occur,” she said. “For example, the attacks in Iran and the strikes by the United States and Israel just a few days ago. Traditional media remain the most reliable source of information when we need to understand truly important issues affecting society.”
She added that professional journalism is essential in providing trustworthy information, particularly given the scale of online disinformation.
Veleva also stressed that politics has always sought to influence the media, making it vital that institutions and governing bodies — including the media regulator — do not allow any form of interference.
That is the guarantee of independence for the journalists working in these media organisations,” she said, adding that the council is forced almost every month to issue statements in defence of journalists.
The CEM chair also congratulated Milena Milotinova and the new management board on taking office at Bulgarian National Television, describing the appointment as a major success both for the broadcaster and for the regulator.
She argued that recent events had shown how legal mechanisms could sometimes lead to illegitimate outcomes — something she described as a serious problem that undermines the fabric of the state.
According to CEM data, former BNT director-general Emil Koshlukov has withdrawn his legal complaints against Ms Milotinova’s appointment, while most appeals lodged by Sasho Yovkov have also been rejected by the relevant courts.
Ms Veleva emphasised that Bulgarian National Television continues to fulfil its public-service role to a very high standard. She said comparisons by the European Broadcasting Union show that the broadcaster performs strongly alongside other public television services.
“Our public television stands very solidly compared with other public broadcasters,” she said. “You manage to reach all Bulgarian citizens. You offer specialised programmes for different groups, regional news coverage, and content for the deaf community, as well as for many other audiences who have the right to television and the right to information.”
Ms Veleva also called on participants in the upcoming election campaign to maintain civility and not abuse the law or their right to representation on the public broadcaster.
Among the problems she highlighted were the lack of leaders’ debates in recent years and the relatively small number of women participating in politics. She described the current political environment as heavily marked by hate speech, personal attacks and rhetoric that often crosses the line from political criticism into the personal sphere.
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