President Meets Representatives of International Media Organisations

Guaranteeing media freedom and independence is of key importance for the democratic and stable development of society, President Rumen Radev said during a meeting at the presidential institution with representatives of international media organisations visiting Bulgaria on September 25.

The delegation is led by Pavol Salaj, Head of the European and Balkans Desk at Reporters Without Borders, and represents the Platform for the Safety of Journalists under the Council of Europe, as well as the Rapid Response Mechanism for violations of media freedom. The visit runs until 26 September and includes meetings with institutions and journalists, with a focus on the media environment.

President Radev noted that the experts’ visit comes against a backdrop of overlapping crises, where independent media play a particularly vital role. The media sector is also undergoing a period of transformation, with conventional media ceding ground to alternative sources of information such as social networks. Among the drivers of these changes, the President highlighted new forms of communication, evolving financial models, selective information, and a shift in public trust from traditional media towards social media platforms.

The discussion also focused on the role of public service media as guarantors of professional journalistic standards and pluralism. The need for a transparent funding mechanism to safeguard their independence was emphasised.

President Radev further highlighted the necessity of increasing transparency regarding media ownership, as available public information is not always sufficient to reveal the true owners and their potential political affiliations. Such opacity can pave the way for censorship within editorial offices or self-censorship by journalists, which ultimately undermines journalism.

The media representatives underlined the importance of adopting the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and implementing other European media law standards to ensure the protection of journalists against verbal and physical attacks, as well as safeguarding media freedom, including in cases of deliberate judicial persecution.