Freedom of the press

Bulgaria has climbed 20 spots in the annual Media Freedom Index of the non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders. According to the organization, this freedom remains fragile and unstable in our country, which is "one of the poorest and most corrupt in the European Union".

European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova gives a press conference on the Media Freedom Act at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, 16 September 2022. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

It's not the first time that Durigon has filed a criminal complaint against media professionals, nor is he the only member of the current government to have done so.

The annual report by the Bosnian Journalist's Association, BH Novinari, has shown that governments in the country have done "almost nothing" to improve media freedoms and journalists' safety. 

Press conference held following the release of the annual report published by the Council of Europe Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, in Brussels, on 07 March 2023: Photo: BIRN

European media freedom has been under threat for over a decade from illiberal governments, especially in Central and Southeast Europe, and the tech giants eating into the traditional media's business.

A report published on Friday, registered 311 media freedom violations in European Union Member States and candidate states in the first six months of 2022.

Photo: Sam McGhee/Unsplash.com

The threats were sent from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from Turkey, on June 28, and since then, after BIRN published an investigation into the Grey Wolves organisation's branch and its activities in Bosnia.

Kuloglija and Buyuk continued to receive messages on their phones with intimidating content after the publication of the article.

Media unions in Kosovo have criticised ruling Vetevendosje party MP Fitore Pacolli after, on Thursday, she urged the government to take measures to identify investments in the media, which, according to her, are being used for business and public blackmail.

A protester blows a whistle and holds a slogan by Amnesty International reading, 'Free media cannot be silenced' near the Turkish embassy in Berlin, May 3, 2017. Photo: EPA/CLEMENS BILAN

The so-called disinformation law will increase government control and censorship in media and social media platforms, Orhan Sener, head of the Journalists' Union of Turkey's academy, said.