Bulgaria: Trust in Media Is Still Low

KAS MP SOE

Shortly before the official opening of the conference on media and politics in Bulgaria on 21st November in Sofia

KAS MP SOE

Hendrik Sittig, Head of KAS Media Programme South East Europe

KAS MP SOE

(from left) Hendrik Sittig, Head of KAS Media Programme South East Europe und Neli Dineva, Researcher at "Alpha Research"

KAS MP SOE

The conference was followed by the audience with great interest

KAS MP SOE

Panel discussion with (from left) Orlin Spassov, Executive Director at the Foundation Media Democracy, Neli Dineva, Researcher at "Alpha Research", Hendrik Sittig, Head of KAS Media Programme South East Europe und Irina Nedeva, Chairperson of the Association of the European Journalists in Bulgaria

No Changes Concerning Media Freedom in Bulgaria

Still only ten percent of Bulgarians believe in independent reporting in their country – thereby, the low value from the previous year is confirmed. Besides that, the majority of respondents (63 percent) state that the press is dependent. Trust in journalistic work is also low: only nine percent of respondents think that journalists are credible. Almost every third does not trust their reporting. “For an EU Member State such low results are alarming,” says Hendrik Sittig, Head of the KAS Media Programme South East Europe. “Media can only fulfil their observer and controlling role in a democracy, if they work independently from politics and business. Only then the trust in reporting can be increased again.”