Bulgarian Media Coalition
The Bulgarian Media Coalition was established in 1997-1998 by the joint efforts of 9 NGOs in order to improve the Bulgarian media and information legislation and to harmonize it to the European standards. A consortium was first created and it was named roup for European Media Legislation. Since then, the Group was restructured into the BMC that gathered representatives of radio and TV broadcasting associations, human rights advocacy groups, journalists, lawyers, and journalism and communication teachers .
Nowdays, BMC gathers 14 members and it is the broadest media association in the country. The mission of BMC is to advocate the values of civil society, pluralism and media independence, thanks to the intellectual, professional and organisational resources of its members.
BMC focuses on the basic issue in the media sector: journalistic theory and professional practice, codes of conduct, training and media industry. These goals are achieved by implementing activities in the following fields:
• Improvement and harmonization of the Bulgarian media legislation with the European standards.
• Independence of the media regulatory bodies.
• Transparency of the process of licensing the electronic media.
• Guaranties for the right of access to information.
• Improvement of the law regulation concerning insult and libel and protection of journalists against prosecution.
• Development of journalistic self-regulation, of putting to practice the ethical standards of this profession.
• Media researches.
• Professional training within the whole spectrum of media activities.
• Support of the non-governmental organizations for professionalizing their relations with media.
Contact details:
Bulgarian Media Coalition
Slavyanska St. ,29, Sofia , Bulgaria
http:// www.bmc.bulmedia.com
tel/fax.00359 29805856
Executive Director: Dimitar Sotirov
The Media Development Center - Sofia was established in 1998 to foster the development of independent media in Bulgaria . Our belief is that competitive media environment and professional journalists community are crucial to encouraging citizens involvement in public life.
The Center is also a member of the South East European Network for Professionalization of the Media (SEENPM), set up in 1999, where now 17 media centers and institutes from Albania , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Bulgaria , Croatia , Hungary , Macedonia , Moldova , Romania , Slovenia and Serbia take part .
The Center a leading media institution in South Eastern Europe and is a member of the South East European Media Organization (SEEMO), associated with the International Press Institute, Vienna, Austria and of the Reporting Diversity Network based in London, UK.
The activites of the Center includes:
• professional training for journalists and media managers from South Eastern Europe ;
• training courses for operational and language skills;
• media handbooks and manuals publishing;
• information service on media and for the media.
• investigative journalism and its role in society development.
The Center's partners are: Deutsche Welle Radio Training Centre, The Guardian Foundation, BBC World Service, Press Now - The Netherlands, Network Media Program - Open Society Institute, Open Society Foundation - Sofia and others.
Contact details:
Media Development Center
6Triaditsa St.,1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
tel. 00359 29889260
tel/fax 00359 29889265
http:// www.mediacenterbg.org
Managing Director Ognian Zlatev