Balgarianovinite.com A discussion titled Journalists and the Media in the Mirror of the Code of Ethics organized by the Union of Bulgarian Journalists in collaboration with Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski was held at the Rectorate of the University on Tuesday.
Snezhana Todorova, Chairperson of the Board of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists, noted that since 2016, the union has been trying to improve working conditions for journalists. Even then, proposals for legislative changes were drafted in connection with the Union of Bulgarian Journalists’ initiative to protect journalistic work. They were submitted to the National Assembly in 2017, but to date, none of the parliament’s sessions has considered these proposals. Among the key points is the assertion that journalism is not a commercial activity and that the media cannot sell information, because it is not a commodity but a human right. However, there are private and state sponsors who exploit it for their own interests, which turns journalism into public relations, she noted.
Media in Bulgaria should consider their ethical relations with one another, Bulgarian News Agency Director General Kiril Valchev said at the opening of the forum. Valchev drew attention to the bad practice in Bulgarian media in how they treat one another, pointing to the lack of citation in media outlets. He gave as an example the way news is circulated without naming its source. “What is the problem with respecting each other’s work? We do it at BTA and nothing bad has happened to us,” Valchev said.
The moral compass of journalists must not change, Bulgarian National Radio Director General Milen Mitev said at the opening of the discussion. He explained that ethics can be understood more simply as a study of good and evil, or how each individual perceives them, and while such perceptions may change over time, the moral compass of journalists should remain constant. He encouraged young journalists to maintain a strong internal moral compass, as it often provides more reliable guidance than external advice.
Journalists are accountable both to their audiences and to the rules of their profession, Bulgarian National Television Director General Milena Milotinova said at the opening of the forum. “Ethical rules are the foundation of everything. They lie at the core of our work,” Milotinova said. According to her, journalists bear responsibility “both to the audience and to the professional standards under which we operate”. In the course of their work, journalists often encounter cases that raise complex questions: “practice shows there are moments that prompt us to further develop the rules we have established,” she added.
Technological pressure is changing the way news is created, Chair of the Council for Electronic Media Gabriela Naplatanova said at the opening of the discussion. “Technological pressure is changing the way news is created, and the time interval for fact-checking is shrinking,” Naplatanova added. She noted that when using artificial intelligence, there must be human oversight at every stage. “We must not forget the basic rules governing a journalist’s duty to present all points of view, avoid bias, show tolerance and act ethically, especially toward victims of violence,” she said, adding that journalists must always be prepared to cover crisis situations.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, Sofia University’s Rector Georgi Valchev said that he hopes for a fruitful discussion, because “there are indeed many issues, in today’s world, media play an even greater role, let us hope they live up to that role”.
The event was attended by Sofia University’s Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication academic staff and journalists. University students were also present in the auditorium. Sofia University Hosts Ethics in Journalism Forum Organized by Union of Bulgarian Journalists 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-28 15:55:56 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law