The North Atlantic Treaty Organization Democratic Institutions Fellowships Programme 1995-1997 APPROPRIATE MEDIA POLICY FOR A SMALL POST-COMMUNIST STATE: EVALUATING THE AVAILABLE MODELS FROM A BULGARIAN PERSPECTIVE

The objective of the project reported here is to examine the process of formation of media policy in Bulgaria in the light of the policy models exhibited by western democracies. The main premise of the study is that the specific features of the political, economic and cultural situation in Bulgaria, a small postcommunist state, have to be taken in consideration when elaborating the framework of an appropriate media policy for this country. The first chapter of the report analyses the specific features of the post-communist society which render mass media important instruments for gaining and exercising power. The central claim is that political actors in a transitional society cannot rely on many of the traditional means for achieving political goals and see the media as crucial to the implementation of their strategies. The struggle among political parties for control over the media often involves bodies and structures of the state. At the same time, civil society, the logical opponent of state and/or party domination over the media, finds itself in an immature state, fails to distinguish itself from the state and political structures and cannot mobilize forces to defend the openness and pluralism of the media sphere. Chapters two and three focus on the processes shaping the post-communist media system in Bulgaria (with an emphasis on broadcasting) and the constellation of actors involved in it. Special attention is dedicated to the parliamentary debate on the proposed bills on radio and television. The central concepts defined and contested in this debate are discerned. The contradicting meanings attributed to concepts such as “public broadcasting institutions”, “independent public body”, “pluralism of expression” are analyzed against the background of the interests and ideologies of the different political actors. A general lack of explicit policy objectives oriented towards the democratization of the media sphere is revealed. Chapter four offers a review of media policy models identified in communication studies and specifies some of the defining regulative measures pertaining to the different models. Particular features of the media systems of small West European countries are detected and discussed with a view to the constraints and available choices in Bulgaria. An ecological approach towards media policy-making at the level of media economy on one hand and public responsibility on the other emerges as a particularly relevant orientation. The inclusion of citizens in decision-making regarding the structure and operation of the media system through the mechanism of public hearings and consultations as practiced in Canada is seen as a means for achieving a democratic, pluralistic and socially responsive media environment. The conclusion outlines the main elements and structure of a media policy that might correspond to Bulgarian society’s needs and realities.