site.btaFragile Media Freedom Progress in Bulgaria at Risk of Backsliding Without Urgent Reform - Report

A report on media freedom published on Friday concludes that "while Bulgaria has experienced modest progress on media freedom in the last four years, the situation remains undermined by persistent structural, legal and political challenges, with urgent action needed by government and public authorities to push forward both domestic and EU-mandated reforms".

The report, prepared by the partner organizations of the Council of Europes Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response, follows  a media freedom mission to Sofia conducted on September 24-26, said the Association of European Journalists (AEJ).

The document outlines the main challenges to media freedom and pluralism in Bulgaria in 2025. Its sections focus on the safety of journalists, the Council for Electronic Media and the Bulgarian National Television, legal threats, SLAPPs and defamation, media pluralism and independent journalism, access to information, public trust in media and disinformation.

The report says: "Deep political polarization continues to shape the media environment, fuelling hostility towards journalists and obstructing consensus on key developments.

"The recent approval and then withdrawal of controversial amendments to the penal code to introduce fines and prison sentences of up to six years for disseminating personal information about an individual without their consent would have, if approved, seriously undermined media freedom and risked the imprisonment of journalists carrying out public interest reporting," according to the report.

"Overall, the country's media landscape remains characterised by the corrosive influence of political and economic interests over editorial independence and media pluralism, resulting in persistent media capture challenges. Key issues include opaque media ownership, non-transparent distribution of state advertising, and weak protections against interference and pressure on independent journalism, all of which are contributing to low levels of public trust in media.

"Economic pressures on Bulgarian media are exacerbated by the technological challenges posed by digital platforms and AI generative models, both of which threaten their revenues and business models."

The report also provides detailed recommendations to national authorities and the government on measures to improve the media freedom climate in Bulgaria, along with general guidance for the country's journalistic community.

The media freedom mission was joined by the following international organizations: ARTICLE 19 Europe; AEJ; European Broadcasting Union (EBU); European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF); European Federation of Journalists (EFJ); International Press Institute (IPI); Reporters Without Borders (RSF); Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and Index on Censorship. The local partner was the Association of European Journalists Bulgaria.