On 16 February 120 years ago, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) released its first news bulletin, written by the agency’s director himself – Oskar Iskander, doctor of philosophy, editor and publisher. The 4-page bulletin contained seven pieces of news. The date has since been taken to be the birthday of the BTA.

Here is Maxim Minchev, BTA director and secretary general of the News Agencies World Congress about the Bulgarian news agency and its role:

There are several important things that have happened in these 120 years that are well worth mentioning. One is that Bulgaria’s national information institution spans three centuries. The second thing is that in these 120 years, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency has not changed its name and that never, in that time, has it interrupted its work and continues to inform the public in Bulgaria. Those are three important elements of our history that should not be forgotten. It is the BTA’s principal activity to inform – to produce information and to relay it, to cater for the needs of public institutions, as well as of the media, of diplomatic missions, of NGOs, of the community as a whole. This does not mean that the BTA does not perform a public function, far from it. Throughout these years the agency has always schooled journalists, it is a place where a correct and pure Bulgarian language is practiced. In our difficult trade it sets a standard of integrity. As to the BTA’s public place in Bulgaria’s life – in different periods it has carried a different amount of weight. In the times of socialism the BTA’s wide network of correspondents brought to Bulgaria news from all corners of the planet. There have been times when emblematic newspapers and magazines – “Parareli”, “LIK”, “Po Sveta” – were, for Bulgarians, windows to the world, providing information at a time when it was scant and meticulously censored.

The BTA has organized forums that have, over the years, developed into major events.

I would like to make special mention of the world meetings of Bulgarian media. For 12 years we have been investing a great deal of enthusiasm, effort and love into our endeavour to bring all Bulgarian media outlets throughout the world together. There are so many of them because in the countries where there is Bulgarian media, there are many Bulgarians living. The fact itself that we bring together Bulgarian media outlets that have emerged and are emerging in over 40 countries on all continents is a very good undertaking. It is a way to keep Bulgaria’s two-way information channel open every day – with the Bulgarian media and the Bulgarian communities abroad. So, we know that is happening in Argentina, for example, or what our compatriots in Australia are doing. We know what problems they have in Cyprus, in the Western outlands, in Moldova, in USA. We provide correspondents, a live bond. We are happy to be able to keep the Bulgarian language alive. Every single day there is someone, somewhere in the world speaking, writing in Bulgarian. That is very important and I think this is an initiative that will continue in future.

The BTA has 15 press clubs nationwide and a network of correspondents that is constantly expanding. Press clubs are planned to open in Rousse, Turgovishte, Yambol, Dobrich, Kurdzhali. As recently as four months ago, during the 13^th world meeting of Bulgarian media which took place in Moldova, a national press club was opened in Taraclia in Moldova – the town with the biggest concentration of ethnic Bulgarians. The agency’s international activities are just as important:

Historically, the BTA is one of the first 10 agencies set up in the world,” Maxim Minchev says. “Throughout all of the years of its existence it has partnered with giants in the profession, and it has an 80 percent monopoly of the information to this day. We have contracts with the world’s leaders – France Presse, Reuters, TASS, Xinhua etc. Parallel with that, we also have bilateral agreements with over 60 countries. With our neighbours in the Balkans we maintain friendly relations, exchanging information, photographs, delegations. That has enabled us to be exceedingly mobile, up to date and highly appreciated. At the same time the BTA is a member of practically all international organizations of news agencies, such as the Association of Balkan News Agencies and the Black Sea Association of National News Agencies. In 2019, Sofia and the BTA respectively will host the biggest media forum in Bulgaria – the 6^th News Agencies World Congress, in which we are expecting delegations from 150 countries to take part. The forum will focus on the most burning issues facing journalism. It is an honour for us that Bulgaria will play host to such an important event, says BTA director Maxim Minchev.

English version: Milena Daynova
Photos: BTA