site.btaUPDATED President Radev: Strong, Free, Independent Media Key to Democratic Society

Addressing the 18th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, organized by BTA in Kazanlak, President Rumen Radev said: "We cannot develop as a democratic society without strong, free and independent media." The forum mottoed "Media and Freedom" ends on Sunday.

Only free media can defend the truth and the triumph of justice, Radev said. The media environment is increasingly becoming a criterion for the freedom of society. Freedom of the media ends where the journalist, his editor, or the media outlet itself, is dependent on economic, political, corporate or outside interests. "Freedom of the media must be our first priority," the President stressed.

He said that the issue of media freedom has always been topical, but now the media environment is increasingly becoming a criterion for the freedom of society, for the state of democracy. For a long time now the media have been not only a corrective of the authorities, an instrument for monitoring the social contract, Radev said. "The media are much more than that, they are part of the immune system of society, because a society cannot develop democratically without the media. They are the forum and guardian of national values and culture. We should support them in this all-important mission," Radev said. He recalled the times when the media environment in Bulgaria was deteriorating steadily. Instead of being a corrective of the powers that be, many media outlets acted as its mouthpiece.

He said that free media cover the facts and do not invent them. They respect the audience, draw a clear distinction between facts and subjective interpretations; the free media do not impose criteria for interpreting information outside professional standards. According to Radev, Bulgaria still needs serious legislative changes. It is extremely important to know the beneficial owners of each media outlet and its funding mechanisms. The public media should be guaranteed funding by law, for instance, a percentage of the gross domestic product. The public media should not depend on the executive, he said.

He said that the issue of media freedom has always been topical, but now the media environment is increasingly becoming a criterion for the freedom of society, for the state of democracy. For a long time now the media have been more than just a corrective of the authorities, an instrument for monitoring the social contract, Radev said. "The media are part of the immune system of society, because a society cannot develop democratically without the media. They are the forum and guardian of national values and culture. We should support them in this all-important mission." He recalled the times when the media environment in Bulgaria was deteriorating steadily, and instead of being a corrective of the powers that be, many media outlets acted as their mouthpiece.

He said that free media cover the facts and do not invent them. They respect the audience, draw a clear distinction between fact and subjective interpretation; the free media do not impose criteria for interpreting information outside professional standards.

According to Radev, Bulgaria still needs serious legislative changes. It is extremely important to know the beneficial owners of each media outlet and its funding mechanisms. The public media should be guaranteed funding by law, for instance, as a percentage of the gross domestic product. The public media should not depend on the executive, he said.

President Radev said this was his first visit to Kazanlak during the Rose Festival and he was still under the influence of the emotions in the streets of the beautiful town. "Today the geographical centre of Bulgaria is becoming the centre of the world with a very strong message of kindness, understanding and especially beauty," Radev said. He thanked BTA Director General Kiril Valchev for the invitation and said that he did a great job choosing the time and place for these World Meetings of Bulgarian Media, which is important because they have become established as a very important forum where the professional community comes together for important discussions on issues of current relevance to the media and society. According to Radev, these meetings are part of the strong link between Bulgaria and its communities abroad.

Radev said Bulgaria's interest in its community abroad is growing steadily. "Since the National Revival Period [in the 19th century], Bulgarians have kept the spirit of survival by expanding their spiritual and cultural space," the President said. The Bulgarian media, both in Bulgaria and abroad, have a huge role to play in uniting people around Bulgarian culture, values and incredible achievements. "That is why your role is extremely important - to provide unbiased, reliable, timely information about Bulgaria to our communities abroad," Radev said. He stressed that whenever he travels abroad, he meets with the Bulgarian communities. "They eagerly follow all the news about Bulgaria; many Bulgarians abroad are more interested in Bulgaria's public life than we sometimes are as we struggle with everyday life," the President said.

He praised BTA for organizing the forum and for developing the traditions in the name of unbiased quality journalism. "The very fact that the meeting is taking place here during the Rose Festival also shows respect for Bulgarian culture, traditions and spirit," Radev said.

He congratulated the Bulgarian-language programme of Australia's Radio SBS, which received the 13 Centuries of Bulgaria National Endowment Fund award.

The President also praised the local authorities of Kazanlak for developing the Bulgarian traditions.

Kiril Valchev presented to Radev a commemorative coin celebrating BTA's 125th anniversary, which was marked in February 2023, and the latest issue of the LIK magazine devoted to the Rose Festival of Kazanlak.

BTA organizes the 18th World Meeting of the Bulgarian Media in Kazanlak from June 1 to June 4, 2023, with the assistance of the Municipality of Kazanlak, the 13 Centuries Bulgaria National Endowment Fund, Aurubis Bulgaria, Doverie Pension Assurance Company, Post Bank, A1 and Nestle Bulgaria AD.