site.btaBTA Director General Valchev: Bulgarian Media Can Unite a Global Community

Bulgarians can be a community, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev said in an interview with Bulgarian National Television on Friday ahead of the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media.

Journalists from 25 countries who publish media in Bulgarian are gathering for the 20th time to exchange ideas on Saturday. Valchev noted that 46 journalists from 34 Bulgarian-language outlets abroad and representatives of 36 Bulgarian media are attending, marking a record number of participating countries.

He said the media sector faces a serious challenge—leaders in Bulgaria no longer engage in meaningful debate. Public discussion has disappeared, with the voices of the mayor, the government, the president, and the National Assembly largely absent from the airwaves, Valchev said.

He recalled that the first edition of the forum was held in 2005 on the initiative of Maxim Minchev (1953–2020), who organised 15 such events. Bulgarians can continue initiatives, not always start from scratch, Valchev added.

He stressed that Bulgarians have something to offer the world and pointed to the Cyrillic alphabet as a core national contribution. In the EU, 25 countries use Latin script. The Greeks have their own, and Bulgarians have the third alphabet, he said.

Valchev also noted the joint initiative by BTA, Bulgarian National Television (BNT), and Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) to mark 14 centuries since the founding of the first Bulgarian state in 632 under Khan Kubrat—long before the modern State of Bulgaria. By 2032, it will be 1,400 years—a fitting moment to talk about Bulgaria’s contribution to Europe, he said, adding that this legacy predates Bulgaria’s nearly 20-year EU membership.

Quoting the Krepchenski inscription—“He who turns this church into a barn, a granary, shall answer for it”—Valchev said the media must not forsake their mission for material gain. “We use letters to feed the body, not the soul. The letters were given to speak to the higher self,” he said, calling for a return to the media’s spiritual and civic role.

He argued that media should function like schools, helping people learn from accumulated knowledge and guiding public understanding. If access to information is part of the right to knowledge, then it is only fair that media professionals receive equal pay to teachers, Valchev said, referring to the recent protest by BNT, BNR, and BTA staff.

He also called for the launch of a consistent support programme for global Bulgarian-language media.

On artificial intelligence, Valchev said, “AI can never replace the journalist. How can it attend an event? AI can’t be a reporter.” He stressed that using AI responsibly requires investment in human intelligence first.

The theme of this year’s meeting is Media and Knowledge, chosen to highlight the media’s responsibility in helping people distinguish truth from falsehood. Sofia, named for divine wisdom, and Klisurski Monastery, dedicated to Saints Cyril and Methodius, are ideal places to hold this conversation, Valchev said.

The 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media is organised by BTA and takes place on May 24 and 25 in Sofia, Klisurski Monastery Sts. Cyril and Methodius, and Varshets.