Conference on Public Information in Bulgarian Language in Dimitrovgrad: Main Issues Security and Sustainable Media Financing

The round table was opened by the Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia, Petko Dojkov, who emphasized that this is a very important issue, alongside the knowledge of the language and education in Bulgarian.

“In recent years, efforts have been made, and there are many results, but challenges remain. Bulgaria will continue to invest efforts; we will continue to support the media in Serbia that inform in Bulgarian. Information is important and it is crucial that local institutions support this process. It is important for the Bulgarian national minority, as it helps to resist all challenges and demonstrates respect for the language and tradition. This is a democratic right and shows the level of development of the entire community,” said Dojkov.

Dejan Milev, Deputy Mayor of Dimitrovgrad, highlighted that this is a topic of great importance for cultural identity, noting that there is a long tradition of informing in Bulgarian.

“Today we have more media, which is a positive aspect, but it should be said that these media should not only inform, but also promote education,” he stated.

Dominik Tijeri, Head of the Media Department of the OSCE Mission in Serbia, which co-organized the event along with the FAR portal, stated that there can be no public dialogue without media, and that for the OSCE, respect for human rights, which includes media freedoms, represents a fundamental pillar of democracy.

“Free media are essential for democracy, as is the right of minorities to accurate and diverse information in minority languages. The independence of editorial policy is key. Journalists must be protected; financial and physical security is a responsibility. Additionally, politicians should refrain from pressuring and threatening journalists and media,” Tijeri said.

At the panel titled “Information for National Minorities with a Focus on Information in Bulgarian,” journalist and media expert Nedim Sejdinović presented conclusions from a previous round table held in 2023 and emphasized that what is stipulated in media laws must begin to be implemented.

“It is important to ensure continuous funding for minority media and to facilitate public dialogue, ensuring that the money allocated by the state benefits citizens and their right to quality and timely information. Journalists should serve as a form of corrective. I notice that there has not been significant progress fundamentally; some regressive tendencies are also visible,” Sejdinović stated.

He also emphasized that local journalists are in a very difficult position, which was confirmed by Petar Videnov, the Editor-in-Chief of the FAR portal.

“In addition to various pressures and problems, in the last two years we have also found ourselves targeted by digital repression; we have even been listed by the Russian service under the accusation that we are brainwashing the youth. We are paying a heavy penalty; we have been punished for truth and professionalism. This is an attack not only on media freedoms but also on our families,” Videnov said.

He added that media competitions are mostly rigged, that the commissions determining them are pre-arranged, and that it is all a farce. He stated that we must reach a level where all these problems are overcome so that the media are not propaganda for any government.

At the gathering, Stefan Stojkov, President of the National Council of the Bulgarian National Minority, also spoke; this Council finances two media outlets – NRTV – Bosilegrad and Novo Bratstvo.

“The most important thing is to find stable funding; one of my requests to the Prime Minister was precisely for stable funding. The strategy of the National Council was completed at the end of September, and I hope it will be available to everyone by early November,” he said.

He mentioned numerous challenges faced by journalists of minority media – lack of funding, institutional support, staffing issues, dependence on budget financing from local self-governments and the state, insufficient digitalization, and inadequate engagement from the information commission.

Maja Milenković, Head of the Department for Regulation, Implementation Oversight, and Inspection in the field of public information at the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, stated that the right of National Councils to be media founders has been preserved, and that an important innovation in the new law is that the principles of their work should be aligned with the operation of public services.

Boris Varga, Director of the Journalistic Publishing Institution Russian Word, which is the first media outlet in Serbia to adopt an internal ethical media code, also participated in the round table.

“The code is respected; there have been ups and downs, but it is respected. Once the funding issue is resolved, the problem of influence and freedom of information will arise,” is his opinion on the funding problem.

The discussion also included Angel Josifov, Dejan Milev, Aleksandar Dimitrov from “Glas Press,” Assistant Minister Dragan Traparić, and the editor of Novo Bratstvo Mila Vasov, as well as writer Elizabeta Georgiev.

The round table was organized by the FAR internet portal and the OSCE Mission in Serbia.

Source: FAR