As frontal freedom in Bulgaria grip on the DW and against the media – so the statement of a high Bulgarian employers functionary is classified. DW editor-in-chief Ines Pohl held against the attack.
The claim is significant: The employers Association of Bulgaria will not want to tolerate critical reporting by foreign media. Specifically, the media attack is directed at the Deutsche Welle. The DW made to environmental and energy policy issues in Bulgaria and no.
With this statement, several Bulgarian media cite the managing Director of the Confederation of employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) Evgenyi Ivanov. Had this during a press conference on 22. January turned out in Sofia against the DW reporting. Ivanov explicitly mentioned that in Bulgaria very controversial project for the construction of a second cable car in the ski resort of Bansko, about the DW was critical of the destruction reported – both in terms of the procurement procedure, as well as with a view on the expected environment.
In the transcript of the press conference of the four employers ‘ associations in Bulgaria (KRIB, the literal statement of Ivanov is the greatest) sounds like this:
“It may not be the case that a foreign medium, the DW – and I am saying this in a very direct way – taught us, as we develop the ski resort of Bansko. (…) I’m sorry, but you should teach, Austria and Switzerland – not us! Bad, however, is that our media applaud, and this `advice’ willing to continue to spread. (…) For us, that is a crime.”
The media vilification to the address of the DW has attracted in the social media of Bulgaria attention. For example, on Facebook. There, the influential political cartoonist Christo Komarnitski had taken a position, and the message about the criticism of DW among his followers spread. The comments circles that corrupt business people in Bulgaria, by all means, to stifle critical reporting in the Bud. This was also the case with the current attack against the DW.
“This process is unheard of and not to accept,” says DW editor-in-chief Ines Pohl. “Of course we will continue our independent reporting.”
DW editor-in-chief Ines Pohl
Also, the Association of European journalists-Bulgaria (VEJ) condemned the attack on the media freedom in Bulgaria. In a statement from the 25. January is read, among other things, to:
“The VEJ rejects the statement by the managing Director of KRIB Evgenyi Ivanov categorically, in which he directly calls to censor the media.”
The VEJ indicates that the members of KRIB are very powerful, because you are sitting on a substantial Portfolio of advertising money for the media. “The Statement by the Executive Director of the organization can lead to self-censorship, because the message can be understood in the media: you are not allowed to quote the well-respected Medium DW, because then orders the Advertising be withdrawn.”
Members in the KRIB, some state-owned companies, led by several ministries; and the throw on the question of whether the Bulgarian government was the statement by Ivanov, in agreement, stated in the VEJ-statement. The Chairman of the Board of the VEJ, Irina Nedeva, finds the testimony of the Ivanov scary and dangerous. In a DW Interview Nedeva says:
“It is absurd that the employer give the media instructions, and a respected Medium attack. We must also ask whether the foreign companies and the German investors ‘ share in Bulgaria this setting and how do you feel when the DW of such a high instance to be attacked.”
DW-Bulgarian is followed in the target area by a wide audience, and several times a day in major media quoted. The influential weekly magazine capital wrote last week about a further attack against DW rich-Bulgarian – this time by Kostadin Kostadinov, Chairman of the Pro-Russian party Vazrajdane:
“Kostdainov threatened the head of the Bulgarian DW-editorial Alexandar Andreev directly. In a letter addressed Kostadinov: “Sandjo [people wrote ancient of for Alexandar], you’re among the first in the list, you know?” In his attack on Andreev, the Chairman of a party that enjoys state party funding prophesied that “soon the moment will be to pay come the stooges and the intermediates of liberal fascism in Bulgaria for you to Do.”
In terms of media freedom in Bulgaria is last among EU member States. In the ranking of reporters without border for 2018, the country place 111 – mainly due to the opaque nature of ownership and the economic and political pressure on the media.