‘A Sleeping Mechanism’ for the time being?

Abstract

This report summarizes the main tendencies related to the current discussions on selfregulation and media ethics in Bulgaria, in an era of social change and technological development. On the basis of available literature and the interviews conducted with Bulgarian media scholars, experts and practitioners in Sofia (November 2010) several trends have been observed. The paper deals with the cultural, social and political contexts, the level of journalistic professionalization, as well as the effectiveness and legitimacy of existing media accountability and transparency institutions. An in-depth analysis of the development of new media platforms and Internet users’ culture helps to define some of most significant examples of external and internal practices, strategies and cases maintaining media accountability and transparency innovations in the online space. The research on the usage of social networks and blogs, as well as on practices fostering actor and production transparency and the level of media responsiveness underlines the current stage and future scenario of the evolution of system making Bulgarian media organizations accountable and transparent.