site.btaSamokov

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) has doubled its press clubs in two years, from 15 clubs at the beginning of 2021 to 31 on February 8, 2023, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said at the inauguration of the newest press club in Samokov.

Valchev said he intends to update the medium-term plan of the national news agency to the effect that press clubs, also functioning as news bureaus, will be established in Bulgarian towns with over 15,000 inhabitants. Precedence will be given to towns which are farther away from the respective regional capital and/or particularly important for the country's economy or the tourist industry.

As a result, such press clubs/news bureaus will be available in 20 towns in addition to the national capital Sofia and the 26 regional capitals, Valchev explained. The 15,000 population limit implies a lowering of the current threshold of 25,000 inhabitants, based on the latest census held in the autumn of 2021, which showed a further drastic decline in Bulgaria's population. The BTA strategy also envisages the establishment of press clubs/news bureaus in all neighbouring countries (and at a later stage, in all Balkan countries), and in other countries with sizeable Bulgarian communities.

"Every press club is a step forward in the quest for knowledge, which is one of BTA's strategic goals," Valchev said. "This means more knowledge from all over Bulgaria, including from places where other news media cannot post their own correspondents - because BTA works for all media rather than competing with them."

According to Valchev, towns like Samokov are very important for Bulgarian history and culture. They boasted highly developed crafts during the National Revival Period of the 18th-19th century. Samokov also has a very significant role to play in the present day. The area is a major hub of winter and year-round mountain tourism, he said.

The posting of a permanent BTA correspondent to Samokov makes the place even more important in the eyes of the local people as it shows them that events in their community are newsworthy and enhances their standing in national debates, Valchev said.

BTA's Samokov correspondent is Ivan Laskin, a local journalist.