Balgarianovinite.com Traditional media no longer hold a monopoly on information, but they still have an opportunity to secure a monopoly on trust, media experts and journalists said during a discussion on the future of television journalism at the 16th St Vlas Television Journalism Awards.
The forum, titled Television Beyond Television, focused on the rise of podcasts and digital platforms, the fragmentation of audiences, the impact of artificial intelligence, and growing challenges to journalism’s authority in an increasingly polarized information environment.
Trust as Traditional Media’s Competitive Advantage
Journalist and media scholar Vesislava Antonova argued that traditional media remain essential because public confidence in information has become one of society’s most pressing problems.
Drawing on research by the Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford, Antonova said audiences under 35 increasingly consume news through mobile devices and platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Viber. Whereas audiences once sought out media organizations, she said, media outlets must now adapt and reach audiences where they already spend their time.
Antonova warned that the information environment has become highly fragmented, with citizens no longer sharing a common news agenda. While podcasts and digital formats have expanded opportunities for content creation, they cannot replace traditional journalism because they often provide only partial perspectives rather than comprehensive coverage of political, economic, social and cultural developments. She also expressed concern about the lack of transparency and ethical commitments among many podcast producers, noting that some of Bulgaria’s most popular podcast hosts have become associated with propaganda narratives.
She further highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence on news production and verification. Journalists, she said, increasingly struggle to distinguish authentic material from AI-generated content, creating new risks for misinformation while simultaneously offering tools that can improve newsroom efficiency. According to Antonova, the media industry’s long-term challenge is to adapt journalistic formats to younger audiences without sacrificing professional standards, fact-checking and editorial responsibility.
Podcasts Gain Ground as Television Faces Structural Challenges
Media expert and journalist Orlin Spassov said the rapid growth of podcasts reflects deeper problems within traditional television journalism.
He identified three major pressures on the sector: a decline in investigative reporting, a growing predictability in television interviews, and economic difficulties affecting journalists. Investigative journalism, he argued, often avoids the most sensitive political and economic subjects, while television interview formats frequently rely on the same guests and recurring viewpoints, limiting diversity in public debate.
Spassov also pointed to low pay, staff turnover and professional insecurity as factors weakening journalism’s independence and capacity. These accumulated challenges, he said, have created opportunities for podcasts and other digital formats to attract audiences that television has struggled to retain.
He noted that podcasts are increasingly benefiting from advertising revenue because sponsors can integrate messages directly into conversations rather than rely on traditional commercial breaks. At the same time, podcast producers are investing in professional studios, cameras and sound equipment, gradually blurring the distinction between podcasting and television production.
According to Spassov, traditional journalists can remain competitive by embracing some of the strengths that have made podcasts successful, including more open conversations, greater willingness to explore unconventional topics and stronger engagement with new audiences.
Social Media Creates Information Bubbles
Veteran television journalist Boyko Vassilev focused on the influence of social media algorithms and audience segmentation.
He argued that modern audiences increasingly live within self-reinforcing “information bubbles” and tend to consume content that confirms existing beliefs. Podcasts, he said, often function as extensions of those bubbles, allowing audiences to spend hours engaging with viewpoints that align with their own.
Vassilev questioned whether most podcasts should be considered journalism at all, describing many of them as informal conversations between like-minded participants rather than professionally structured journalistic products. He cautioned against attempts to label media guests according to ideological or political affiliations, arguing that such practices could further deepen social divisions.
At the same time, Vassilev acknowledged that media organizations face practical limitations when seeking new voices and perspectives. The challenge, he said, is not simply finding new guests but balancing public expectations between reinforcing existing views and challenging audiences’ assumptions. The debate over media polarization, he added, mirrors broader trends already visible in countries such as the United States.
BTA Director Calls for Tougher Questioning of Those in Power
Kiril Valchev, Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), argued that journalism’s central task remains holding public officials accountable.
Valchev said television continues to be one of the most valuable sources of news because it operates under editorial responsibility, unlike social media platforms. However, he expressed concern that government officials increasingly avoid direct interviews and public questioning, leaving analysts and commentators to fill airtime in their place.
He called for a revival of rigorous television interviews and formal press conferences, arguing that politicians should not be allowed to substitute social media posts for direct answers to journalists’ questions. According to Valchev, media outlets should resist filling programming with proxies or unofficial representatives when elected officials refuse to appear.
The BTA chief also urged greater cooperation and mutual respect among media organizations, including more systematic attribution of reporting and wider recognition of journalists’ work. He linked the future of quality journalism to sustainable funding, arguing that public-service media should receive stable state support comparable to public education, while private media should also have access to national support mechanisms serving the broader public interest.
Despite differing perspectives on podcasts and digital media, participants broadly agreed that journalism faces a period of profound transformation driven by technological change, shifting audience habits and declining trust. The central challenge, they said, is preserving professional standards and public confidence while adapting to an increasingly fragmented and competitive media landscape.
The winners of the 2026 St Vlas Television Journalism Awards will be announced and presented later Saturday during an official ceremony on the Black Sea coast.
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