site.btaSixth National Conference on Media Security Discusses Independence of Online Journalism

The Sixth National Conference on Media Security was held at the St Kliment Ohridski Uiversity of Sofia on Wednesday under the motto "New Business Models and Financial Security of Online Media". The forum, organized by the Balkan Institute for Strategic Forecasts and Risk Management and the Communications and Culture Foundation, brought together experts from academia and practising journalists who discussed the financial resilience and editorial independence of the media in the digital environment.

The event addressed key topics, such as promising business models for successful online journalism, the role of AI in the profession, the balance between open access to information and the creation of high-quality content, and the impact of online media on public perceptions.

"The aim of this and previous conferences was to introduce a new concept into media theory and practice - media security, which was quite unusual at the time," Prof. Borislav Gradinarov of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, one of the organizers of the conference, told BTA. He said that one of the main issues under discussion was the financial independence of the media. Gradinarov noted that the constant search for funding often places media outlets under the influence of corporate and political interests. "That is why it is important to hear the voices of people from the field," Prof. Gradinarov said.

Prof. Valery Todorov, Chair of the Communications and Culture Foundation and moderator of the event, noted that media security encompasses not only information protection but also the ethical and legal dimensions of the media environment. "We live in a highly informed world in which information often replaces social reality," he told BTA.

According to him, Bulgaria lags behind in regulating digital services and must both catch up and address long-standing problems. Prof. Todorov stressed the need for sustainable financial models for the media, including through donations and public funds.

The proceedings of the forum will be included in the third volume of the Media Security series, which is expected to be published in the first half of 2026.