Local Media and Freedom of Information in Bulgaria
December 2007 – November 2010
Financed by: MATRA Programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project description:

The overall objectives of the project are to promote the process of transparency and accountability of the government and local authorities in Bulgaria; to contribute to the rule of law and democracy in line with the European standards, and to improve the flow and quality of public information. The project aims to increase transparency at local and regional level; to increase the knowledge and improve the skills of local media and journalists on applying access to information legislation, and to help build engaged society that holds authorities accountable.

Expected results:

1. Media and journalists understand and apply better their rights and obligations under access to information legislation;
2. Media and journalists are increasingly successful in obtaining public information by using access to information legislation;
3. Improved legal capacity of AIP for support to media;
4. Improved monitoring on use of access to information legislation by media and journalists;
5. The general public (especially on local and regional level) has improved knowledge on freedom of information issues and is actively seeking information.

Activities within the project:

1.Trainings for editors-in-chief and journalists from local and regional media
2.Legal advice and help to journalists in information cases
3.Creation of database and website with results from the use of the Acess to Public Information Act by media and journalists
4.Public awareness campaign led by AIP coordinators in the country (on local and regional level)
5.TV campaign about freedom of information and production of documentary Right to Know

The project will be implemented in cooperation with The Management & Media Academy/Free Voice.

AIP executive director, Ms. Gergana Jouleva, prsents the award to Ms. Stela Kovacheva

AIP held the annual meeting with the journalists from the coordinators’ network on February 5, 2010.
The meeting was organized within the project Local Media and Freedom of Information in Bulgaria, financed through the MATRA program of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ms. Gergana Jouleva, AIP executive director, made and overview of the key achievements of AIP during the past 2009. Results are presented in the annual report of the organization. The goals and tasks of the coordinators’ network for 2010 were outlined. The newly launched  Public Awareness Campaign on New Standards in the Access to Information Area was presented. Alexander Kashumov, the head of AIP legal team, presented the results from the AIP run campaign with regard to proposed amendments to the Electronic Communications Act.

AIP gave the Coordinator of the Year Award for a third successive year. Stela Kovacheva, AIP coordinator for the region of Razgrad, was acknowledged for her active engagement in the coordinators’ network, timely and efficient coverage  of AIP initiatives, participation in access to information campaigns on a local level.

In 2008 and 2009, AIP has organized and held workshops with journalists from local media in twenty Bulgarian cities within the implementation of the project Local Media and Freedom of Information in Bulgaria, financed by the MATRA Programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At these seminars, cases of journalistic investigations completed with the help of the APIA and following litigation proceedings were presented. Tactics for successful use of the law by journalists were also presented. The Dutch FOI expert, Mr. Roger Vleugels, presented tactics and cases of journalists from Holland.

Two special documentaries were produced:
The special documentary “Media and Access to Information - Five Investigative Reporter Stories” which presents five emblematic access to information litigation proceedings of journalists from national media was shown at all workshops and copies were left for broadcast by local TV stations. The movie is accessible at: http://www.aip-bg.org/matra/documentaryen.php with English and Russian subtitles.

Also, the thirty-minute documentary Right to Know Day is distributed among the participants.

The special web site Access to Information and Journalistic Investigations was launched and maintained to serve as a permanent reference and to encourage journalists to perform thorough investigations by obtaining public information from institutions. It contains important court cases of journalists, comments and recommendations on current topics of public interest, publications, documentaries, training videos, training materials, information about AIP campaigns and forthcoming events, etc.