site.btaMedia's Role in Preserving Kin and Language Is Storytelling, Says Bulgarian National Radio Director

The role of media in preserving kin and language is storytelling, said the Director General of Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) Milen Mitev during the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Ukraine. He took part in the second panel, which is titled "Knowing One's Ancestry and Mother Tongue in Bulgarian Media". The event was hosted by the G.S. Rakovski Highschool in Bolhrad.

Mitev explained that not all people can be expected to visit all places where Bulgarians live. "This is our place as media - to be there to tell their stories."

To date, he said, it is difficult to say that the State has any coherent and focused strategy about Bulgarians abroad and preserving knowledge of the Bulgarian kin and language. Rather, every media does what it can and what it believes is right, Mitev said.

"As part of our public mission, we have the luxury of public funding, which allows us to make broadcasts and create material that is not necessarily looking for commercial gain, because very often broadcasts related to education, culture, science cannot gain such popularity that they make commercial sense," the BNR head said.

He pointed out that the spread of knowledge about kin and language has a tradition of almost nine decades at BNR.

Radio Bulgaria started broadcasting abroad in 1936. The team of Radio Bulgaria works in 10 foreign languages and Bulgarian, and its materials are available all over the world. Another richness of the radio, according to Milen Mitev, is the Hristo Botev programme, in which many programmes focus on Bulgarian history and the Bulgarian language.

"One of the easiest ways to create community and a sense of kinship is art in the form of folklore, folk music, folk festivals and customs, which are strongly present in all our programmes," the Director General of the public radio said.

 BTA organizes the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Odesa, Bolhrad and Izmail (Ukraine) from June 18 until June 21, 2024 with the assistance of Aurubis Bulgaria, A1 Bulgaria, Glavbolgarstroy Holding, Euroins Insurance Group, SOF Connect - the operator of Sofia Airport, 13 Centuries Bulgaria National Endowment Fund.