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Bulgarian journalists complain of political pressure

Dr. Iliya Valkov
Photo: BNR

The media environment in Bulgaria in 2020 has been described as "development in stagnation", according to the fifth survey on the feeling of freedom of speech in the country, conducted by the Association of European Journalists with the financial support of the Dutch Embassy.

70% of the surveyed journalists say that if there is external pressure, it comes from politicians and much less from economic entities, the author of the report, Dr. Iliya Valkov, told BNR.4
55% of the polled journalists support the measures against the concentration of media ownership. Nearly 20% admit that they apply self-censorship. 
The percentage of journalists who have worked in three or more media outlets for the last 10 years remains very high. Regional journalism is becoming an endangered species, the report says.



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