site.btaPublic Must Recognize Social Media Is Not Journalism, Experts Say

People should have understood by now that social networks should not be seen or treated as news media, said Ruslan Stefanov, Program Director and Chief Economist at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). On Thursday, he opened an international conference in Sofia titled "Law Enforcement in Digital Governance: Platforms, Disinformation, and Democratic Resilience," organized by CSD.

Stefanov noted that everything seen on social platforms, regardless of which one, should not be taken at face value. He emphasized that social networks should be viewed as a form of entertainment rather than a reliable source of information. Even in that context, users should remain aware that their data is often used to influence and manipulate them, he added.

He advised people to seek news from media outlets where the ownership, editors, and sources of information are known.

Asked whether Bulgarians are building a shield against disinformation, Stefanov said, "I don’t think we are there yet, especially in regard to Russian disinformation, which is currently the most aggressive and has been highly concentrated since 2014, even earlier." Bulgaria is a special favorite of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he added, explaining that Russia has been viewed as a friendly country for many years, and in 2019, positive sentiment towards Russia in Bulgaria was the highest in the world.

Stefanov believes that Bulgarian institutions manage to build initial capacity for strategic communication, giving as examples the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The major problem, according to Stefanov, is that disinformation stories often enter the domestic political debate, not only in Bulgaria but globally.

The expert explained that addressing disinformation always involves balancing a crucial right and value—freedom of speech. "Institutions must be able to determine where freedom of speech ends and harmful attempts to influence begin," Stefanov concluded.