site.btaUPDATED World Meeting of Bulgarian Media's Final Panel Highlights Need for Investing in Promotion of Bulgarian Culture

Participants in the final panel of the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, held Sunday in Varshets (Northwestern Bulgaria), agreed that it is high time Bulgaria invested in promoting its culture. The discussion was titled “Bulgarians in the 21st Century World and the Media.”

Opening the discussion, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova said that wherever there is a Bulgarian national or a Bulgarian media outlet, there is Bulgaria. She noted that such gatherings allow for meaningful conversations that move beyond clichés. “Since at least a third of Bulgarian citizens or those who identify as Bulgarian live outside the borders of the Bulgarian State, the Bulgarian State faces a challenge. The Bulgarian State does not know what to do with these people and what to ask of them,” Kiselova said. “We are facing a very serious question: after the national goal set in 2005 - full EU membership with all the opportunities it provides – is achieved, what should Bulgaria’s next national goal be over the next five to fifteen years?” Kiselova asked, addressing the participants in the meeting. 

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev said that the best thing is that Bulgarians abroad often “look at our country with more love than we do ourselves,” he said. Valchev added that “journalists serve as the eyes of the people that allow them to see what is happening today.” He described journalists as medium for spiritual insight. 

The final panel was moderated by Vasil Hristov, President of the Foreign Press Association based in the United Kingdom. “We are witnessing a profound transformation in today’s world - a radical shift in the relationship between society and the media, and in the way Bulgarians have perceived themselves in the media landscape over recent decades,” he said. “The transition from the 20th to the 21st century has brought about a revolutionary change in the image of the Bulgarian – from the faceless Soviet man to the multi-dimensional individual of a democratic society; from the stereotype of the Balkan 'other' - often viewed with suspicion - to a quest for authentic national identity,” Hristov noted. He described this shift as ”a dramatic evolution” where once the Bulgarian in the media was primarily an object of propaganda, today, they have moved to the opposite extreme, “becoming subjects of unrestrained self-expression through social media and freedom to generate news.” Hristov also highlighted the political dimension of this change, observing how the media portrayal of Bulgarians “evolved from the idealized builder of socialism to the figure of transition.”

Prof. Veselina Valkanova, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University, said that the relationship between media and knowledge is vital for the development of societies in the 21st century. She referenced British sociologist Steve Fuller and his book "Media and the Power of Knowledge," which argues that access to and control over media across different stages of civilization, from the age of literacy to the digital era, have been instrumental in shaping the course of knowledge.

Gabriella Hadzsikosztova, editor-in-chief of Balgarski Vesti [Bulgarian News], a Bulgarian newspaper based in Hungary, spoke about the limited visibility of Bulgaria in Hungary's media. However, the Bulgarian community there is well-represented, she said. “This is something we are proud of because we are respected by the Hungarian State,” Hadzsikosztova noted, adding that the community’s history dates back over a century. “It is a wisely built community, thanks to the early Bulgarian gardeners. These were far-sighted people who understood from the very beginning that preserving their culture, their Bulgarian spirit, their Bulgarian identity would be impossible without education, faith, religion, a church,” she said.

Denica Sekulička, editor-in-chief of the Slovakian-based Bulgarian newspaper Sanarodnik [Compatriot], said that Bulgaria’s image in Slovakia is positive. “Bulgaria is one of the few countries with such a favorable perception in Slovakia,” she said, crediting Bulgarian gardeners and students who came to Slovakia in the 1920s and 1940s. “To me, it is not a problem that Bulgarians go abroad because everyone has the right to find their own path abroad. But when we stop hearing each other, stop feeling each other, when we forget not just the letters of the language but its deeper essence, then the media cease to be the voice of the people. They become noise. And that is what frightens me the most,” Sekulička said

Bulgaria lacks visibility in the United States and does not promote itself there, said Evgeni Veselinov, editor-in-chief of the BulgariCa digital publication based in the US. Responding to a question by panel moderator Vasil Hristov, Veselinov said that “Bulgaria is not on the map,” adding that the world’s attention is focused elsewhere. “In America, there may be some interest in the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, but you rarely hear about it,” he said. Veselinov noted that in the 20 years since founding his media outlet, he has never seen a single advertisement for Bulgaria aired on US public television even though such networks would broadcast it free of charge.

Ivan Uzunov, co-founder of BG Hub Eindhoven, said that Bulgarians now represent the second largest group of students in IT courses at the Eindhoven University of Technology, after the Dutch. “These young people have managed to change perceptions of Bulgarians among the Dutch public,” Uzunov said. He cited the formation of many Bulgarian associations, such as the Bulgarian Society Eindhoven, which help inform the Dutch about Bulgaria and its people.

Desislav Payakov, born in Vienna, added that Bulgaria’s media presence in Austria remains insufficient. “Together with Hungary and Slovakia, Bulgaria is viewed through the lens of a shared historical past,” he said. In Austria, the Balkans are often cited as an example of corruption, Payakov added.

Sekulička added that “we have a very rich culture and this should be talked about.” “We have a lot to share. Cultural information is extremely important,” she said, noting that each Bulgarian abroad is a living advertisement for this country. Sekulička added that while diplomats serve temporary roles, it is the expatriate communities that play a long-term role in shaping Bulgaria’s image.

Hadzsikosztova echoed these thoughts, noting that it is vital that Bulgaria invests in spreading its culture. She stressed that in Hungary, the promotion of Bulgarian culture is funded by the Hungarian State.

Concluding the discussion, BTA Director General Kiril Valchev highlighted the need for state programmes dedicated to supporting Bulgarian media both at home and abroad – “with funding and strict requirements”. He added that the number of Bulgarian media outlets has significantly declined over the years. Valchev stressed on the lack of long-term policy and strategic support. He concluded by acknowledging that organizing these world meetings is becoming increasingly difficult, requiring compromise in order to foster this dialogue and encourage Bulgarian media participation.

The 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media is taking place in Sofia, the St Cyril and St Methodius Klisura Monastery, and the town of Varshets (Northwestern Bulgaria) on Saturday and Sunday. This year’s forum is held with the support of A1, Aurubis Bulgaria, BGR Group Ltd., Geotechmin, Glavbolgarstroy Holding, Logistic Systems Ltd., the 13 centuries Bulgaria National Endowment Fund, SFA Automotive Ltd. (the official importer of Opel in Bulgaria), Postbank, Pachkov Ltd., and SOF Connect (the operator of Vasil Levski Sofia Airport).