Theodor Stoychev noted that mass media worldwide are experiencing pressure, much of which is of a financial nature. He made this statement during the opening of the Connecting UE seminar, organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
The State of the Press in Bulgaria
The seminar took place on July 6 and 7 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Stoychev, who is a Bulgarian representative, commented on the improvement in the state of press freedom in Bulgaria. He indicated that although press freedom indicators in the country were quite low a few years ago, gradual progress is now being observed.
Reasons for Media Pressure
According to Stoychev, there is press freedom, but it is accompanied by pressure, including internal pressure and self-censorship from some journalists, which makes the environment difficult. The biggest problem he sees in recent years is the lack of funding. This shortage is caused by the emergence of new media channels, social networks, and various types of information provided by content creators on these platforms.
The Role of the European Union
This phenomenon leads to a decrease in traditional revenue sources for classic media, which maintains a complex situation. In this regard, Theodor Stoychev emphasized that the European Union is strengthening its activities by directing financial resources to support journalistic investigations and various types of traditional media that produce quality journalism. He noted that this is one of the priority tasks supported by various financial instruments and serves as a way to promote and preserve good traditional journalism in the era of disinformation and information warfare.