Baku, June 11, AZERTAC
Bulgaria needs national programmes to support regional media, local journalists, and Bulgarian-language media abroad, said BTA Director General Kiril Valchev at the opening of the discussion “The Future of Regional News” in Sofia on Thursday. The discussion is organized by BTA and the Council for Electronic Media (CEM).
Valchev stressed that regional journalism in Bulgaria is in a difficult state, often being dependent on local authorities or business interests. He argued that independent regional reporting could be guaranteed by state- and municipality-backed support programmes.
BTA currently operates 33 press clubs across the country and employs 67 correspondents, with most cities now covered by two reporters. The Agency spends just over 16% of its budget on its correspondent network and has increased journalists’ pay over the past five years, although salaries remain relatively low compared with other public-sector professions.
Valchev emphasized that BTA is modernizing its press clubs, provides reporters with electric vehicles, and has photographed around 4,200 of Bulgaria’s 5,200 settlements to improve visual news coverage. He also highlighted BTA’s efforts to cover all municipal council meetings nationwide and its partnerships with every university in Bulgaria.
He proposed continuing the event with a series of regional discussions in 2027 to address the specific challenges facing regional journalism in different parts of the country.
Source: azertag.az
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