Half Of Bulgaria's Journalists Under Economic and Political Pressure – Survey

Every other journalist in Bulgaria is subjected to political and economic pressure, shows a survey of the "Reporter" and the "Konrad-Adenauer" foundations, quoted by the Union of Bulgarian Journalists.

It was done by Krum Blagov of the "Reporter" foundation and Orlin Spasov of the Sofia University among 100 journalists and editors and 15 media owners in Bulgaria.

Every third journalist complained from pressure by advertisers, every fourth says an article/s of his was stopped from publication.

"Many Bulgarian journalists cannot describe their work as independent," note the authors of the survey. "The reporters' work is not well protected from external influences."

Around 30% of journalists and editors say that the media they work in have bias in covering certain people, topics and companies and admit that the only way to have their stories published, is to stick to the trends, set by the owner of the media.

At the same time nearly half of the media owners admit to getting pressure from advertisers. Only two, however, admit to political pressure.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria has dropped 13 places and is now 100th in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders for 2013.