Supporting independent journalism: practical examples from Germany and Bulgaria

The project aims to address the various challenges facing independent journalists in Bulgaria and to propose possible practical measures to support them.

In partnership with the KAS Media Programme South East Europe, the Anti-Corruption Fund is organising a training workshop for journalists that will address issues facing independent journalism in Bulgaria such as concentration of media ownership, dependence on state-distributed funding, political interference in the editorial policy of the media, and the lack of a supportive environment for independent journalism.

The seminar will bring together journalists whose work covers national, regional and municipal institutions, the judiciary or working on investigations at national and local level. The focus of the project is especially journalists working in regional media, who often experience the most pressure and face the most challenges in their work.

During the workshop, German and Bulgarian journalists/experts will propose for discussion practical actions aimed at supporting journalistic independence through measures such as:

– Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between independent journalists in Bulgaria.
– Legal support for independent journalists: available tools and legal framework. Alternative financial models for independent journalism.
– The German model of journalistic independence: practical examples of a working model
– Journalistic independence: what role for Europe?