Bulgaria: Mission to examine media freedom and independent journalism

Between 25-26 September, a coalition of international media freedom and journalist organisations will travel to Bulgaria to conduct a press freedom mission on behalf of the Council of Europe's Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).

The delegation will conduct a series of meetings over two days in the capital Sofia with stakeholders including the Bulgarian President; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Interior; the Council of Electronic Media (CEM); the Office of General Prosecutor; the Commission for Personal Data Protection; the Central Election Commission, and representatives from embassies.

Representatives of the participating organisations will also meet with leading journalists and editors from a range of different media organisations in Bulgaria, as well as media associations and unions, media experts, members of civil society organisations, and academics. A separate meeting will be held with the Bulgarian National Radio.

The aim is to take the pulse of media freedom in the country, examining issues including the safety of journalists, media regulation, public broadcasting, media pluralism, defamation and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), media ownership, and the reform process required under the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

A press briefingto share the initial findings of the mission and present recommendations to safeguard media freedom in Bulgaria will be held from 09.30-11.00 on 26 September at the National Press Club of the Bulgarian Press Agency (49 Tsarigradsko shose blvd). The event is open to all media and translation services will be provided.

Participants include ARTICLE 19, Association of European Journalists (AEJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Index on Censorship, International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

• To schedule interviews with the mission organisations, please contact [email protected]or [email protected]