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| © Photo: Vergil Mitev |
Bulgaria has been moved ten notches down in the world chart for freedom of the media drawn up by Reporters Without Borders – from 70th down to 80th position in 2011-2012, or the rearmost place among EU countries. Bulgaria has shown similar indices with Serbia, Chile and Paraguay. The Reporters Without Borders NGO comments that Bulgaria has failed to deal with freedom of speech violations, mostly due to the lack of political will.
Now, more about the findings of an anonymous online poll held by the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria. According to more than half of polled journalists and media experts the worst problem of the Bulgarian media is systematic political pressure exerted on journalists. One in third journalists has identified another problem that has been gaining momentum over the recent years – the economic dependence of publications that mars the daily work of reporters and editors. “The economic crisis has strengthened this perception”, comments Kamelia Ivanova, Secretary General of the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria, and adds:
“The crisis and economic constraints have increased the number of highly professional freelancers who have left media outlets. So, exactly freelancers have stood out with greater freedom and objectivity in their work. This indirectly points to the massive dependence of media outlets on big advertisers. A report compiled by the Media Democracy Foundation carried in October 2011, reads that the gray businesses taking over the management of media outlets, has generated the worst problems concerning freedom of the press in Bulgaria.
Now, more about the findings of an anonymous online poll held by the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria. According to more than half of polled journalists and media experts the worst problem of the Bulgarian media is systematic political pressure exerted on journalists. One in third journalists has identified another problem that has been gaining momentum over the recent years – the economic dependence of publications that mars the daily work of reporters and editors. “The economic crisis has strengthened this perception”, comments Kamelia Ivanova, Secretary General of the Association of European Journalists in Bulgaria, and adds:
“The crisis and economic constraints have increased the number of highly professional freelancers who have left media outlets. So, exactly freelancers have stood out with greater freedom and objectivity in their work. This indirectly points to the massive dependence of media outlets on big advertisers. A report compiled by the Media Democracy Foundation carried in October 2011, reads that the gray businesses taking over the management of media outlets, has generated the worst problems concerning freedom of the press in Bulgaria.
(Source : Radio Bulgaria)
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