“There is no democracy and freedom without freedom of speech and pluralism,” said President Rumen Radev at the opening in Sofia of the annual conference of the International Public Broadcasters Alliance. For the first time, the Bulgarian National Radio is hosting the forum, which is attended by 24 radio and television public-media organisations from five continents.

Radev went on to say that the media “must seek the truth and share it, regardless of whether it is convenient for those powerful in economics and politics, and must be able to withstand the pressure to silence and censorship.”

Public media are among the main pillars of democratic societies, and their mission is more important than ever in the age of disinformation. This was stated by BNR’s Director-General Milen Mitev at the opening of the International Conference.

Mitev noted that at first glance public media appear stable — they are large organisations, with longstanding history and rich archives which are an important part of national culture. But, in his words, a closer look reveals “a very different picture and journalism has never faced so serious challenges.”

“Media financed with public funds, but independent of public authority – that gives us the freedom to pursue only one interest: that of society. Public media in a democratic society cannot be used as a tool for attack, but we are a wonderful line of defence. Defence against disinformation, against manipulation, against lies,” Mitev stated.

In order to reach our audience, we already rely on our main competitors – the large online platforms. They are so powerful that we cannot operate without them and become dependent, warned the Director-General of BNR, also emphasising the need for stable funding for public media.

The forum is dedicated to the theme “Public Media – the Power of Arguments”, and the discussions continue on October 22.

Photographs: Ani Petrova/BTA