Post
Tanning in the puddle. Just an ordinary journalist` day
A strong symbol hit my eyes before few hours in Facebook. A friend of mine posted a photo of a Bulgarian reporter, who was standing in a very unusual beach alike city version of a spotlight. I didn`t know what to think on it except to make a strong relation to a meeting coming soon on all kinds of media networks in a real time.
I don`t know why but this Bulgarian photo touched something inside me. Maybe I don`t feel like a citizen of a country, member of the European Union. Maybe Bulgaria does not deserve to have the same rights. Sometimes I cannot understand how they accepted us at all and mainly WHY?
This is the reason to continue my thoughts on COP15. I Googled "cop15 България" and what came up first? A Bulgarian article about Konica Minolta, which is chosen for the main partner of the event. You can read the pressrelease HERE.
The second article in Google`s list was again for the same company and their connection with the 15th Conference of the Parties.
The third article chosen by the special Google forces was the one I wrote for the online media of WAZ BG - 24chasa.bg. It`s name is "Зелена вълна от блогъри ще бори екопроблемите" - Translated, the title means "Green wave of bloggers fights the ecoproblems", which is nearly the same as my first published post here.
The content, however is totally different, because it is a reportage about all what we have seen, heard, spoken about and all what we 90 want to do here. It gives information about our seminars, about our lecturers and the COP15 meeting. Mainly it is the answer why we, as BLOGGERS, take part in this contest. The answer is absolutely connected with the same thing - the high-level meeting in December.
The next article, which showed under mine was from 3 February. Since then, the subject was moribund...
What means this Google filtration?
- First that Bulgaria needs more information about the international actions concerning the climate change; that there are few real eco journalists around or even not eco, but journalists at all interested in the topic;
- that Bulgarian nation knows about its environmental problems, but does not BELIEVE that they will and can be solved by such peak meeting of countries` leaders. It is in the Bulgarian mentality to swerve around the corner when it comes to a change. We think that we could solve all our problems by ourselves but this is impossible for a new EU member, which still learns and has many inner deep problems with the corruption, that influence on each public sector of life.
- Last but not least we must notice the number of articles, newsfeed and official media representatives in our country who write/speak about ecological issues. I even do not mention the ministry of ecology...There are more personal websites, NGO-s newsletters and blogs on the topic, rather than official media.
- We cannot stop the crisis, the politicians or polluting crimes of the big companies. Why? Because they have as much deference as money.
- English=Dirty language. Almost all of the official green NGOs` letters to the government are written only on Bulgarian. This is a simple example. I asked a friend of mine, why the letter of a -X- NGO isn`t translated in English? Answer was that there is a lack of volunteers, who take active part. Sad.
Going back to the picture reminds me on one saw - They spit on him but he thinks it`s rain.
I hope the Bulgarian will change that abnormality one day...
Comments
That seems to take time. A lot of time.
There are a lack of people who are good in English?
No, there is no such lack. Actually Bulgaria is one of the countries, where it is normal for the people to speak at least English and on the second hand Russian/German/Spanish or something else. But the mentality is something else, so yes it will take time.
As far as I am considered than there is point of economical development and life standard that should be reached to start to care about climate or other somehow far related issues.
That mainly happening in Latvia too. Different, but happening. Like burning containers in my recent post.
They are a lot of young people that care. One of my ex-classmates asked me few minutes ago “I cannot understand one thing. Why you wonder that much with what the others are better and what are we doing in the EU”...I still believe that I have explained my opinion here - clear enough. So, it is inherent problem, which becomes a political overbearing one.
I am getting really annoyed by small issues that are made huge by politics ..
Sorry for that
But a lot of common patterns to LV 
Remember the Wall (Berlin);))
I do .. No human sense at all..
OK, you speak about politicians. But take journalists. A friend of mine used to work for one of the leading BG newspapers, owned by one of the gas providers in Bulgaria. So he wanted to make a green report about a neighborhood in Sofia. Some lake or something. What do you think had happened? Nothing: ‘The prime-minister is more interesting than that’. So the conversation’s over. No Comment as well…
It always depends who pays more haha. The most of my colleagues are pro-s considering that question. And media is supported by parties. Political or industrial - it doesn`t matter.
That’s paid journalism. You write what you must write. That is case all over.
I love to talk/discuss about journalism and media. My thesis were about media economics, particularly in Latvian Published press industry.
So.. This is a nice binding for 4th power in democratic society. If you have to write about PM .. It is still okey. Depends on what you need to write.
The danger of free word is when journalists became just ones who types and put in words needs from redactors and as you said owners (gas providers).
The funny situation I saw in Latvian market included one newspaper with about 5000 - 6000 subscribers per months, no really advertising in it, loss of about 1 million lats (0,7 euro=1 ls) annually. Who is the owner of it and why it is still running?
P.S. there are no information about copy sales avaliable
There is that nice definition of oligarch - ... and s/he owns one of important media.
Lucy, it’s similar in Romania ... few know at least intermediate English, most know to count to 10 and that’s it.
If you ask 10 random people in the streets, 9 will tell you they don’t know what COP15 is, but as long as it’s something related to the environment, they all think something must be done.
It is all about structures. Behind is always some autocrat controlling the model of the media. Many of our newspapers change regularly their owners and like in every other industry the new ones often have no idea about journalism, because they don`t think about creativity, effort or believings. They see in figures. Often they use the newspapers for their own public campaigns and nothing more. Consequently, many good print issues are dead by now, thanks to such creative businessmen.
Adela, no, no:) The people know English, we have quite many specialists here.
That was not my point. The idea is that people from NGO-s count only to our cabinet and so, ministery of ecology, to change things. To make for example our capital greener. It was such a “great achievement” when they made few extra bike alleys…
Maybe this is the answer why I cannot understand our place in EU. We cannot be there, when for us the greatest deal is to make few roads for people, who like to live healthier and more balanced. We do not deserve to be heard when we do not try even to write our papers in English so that many more international audience could be attracted. Are we afraid EC to know in what dirty whole are we living and give BG some fees?
@Adela Green thinking’s not just COP15. It should become a state educational policy - if children start thinking green, there would be no trace of the profound indifference we’re witnessing right now.
P.S. Not 9 of 10, probably 99 of 100 have no idea what COP15 is…
well i think the Bulgarian people need to be more enlighten about the Climate Change and how dreadful it is….mind you this is a world problem…its has no boundary ....so let the world a safe place to be ....
Thank you a lot, ABDULGAFAR. It is true that the problem has no boundaries, but it is also true that on some parts of the planet people take more care about their countries than in other parts. Does this makes as all equal in the fight with the climate change?
Learning freedom is a long way which begins again in birth. Every country thinks of in one’s own way freedom. In France question settles in our reports with Africa. We think that the continent likes the same freedom as us!
Learning fairness too.
About freedom there is no end of my thinking.
Depends who pays for the freedom
It’s like peace ..
We have to pay for freedom AND for peace.
I have payed a lot for two!
We all pay too much for the future…
That is life!
@Lucy
I think I was meaning that mentality is similar in our countries.
And mentality stays at similar levels, because most of the people don’t know a second language, hence can’t filter information from various media. So they take whatever given -
As for our place in EU, I don’t know about Bulgaria, but Romania is currently a good market. We import any EU product you can imagine & export ..... almost nothing.
@Al-x40
I’ve asked a lot of people here about COP15. There are some who have a slight idea about the conferences, but the numbers given here are not based on any specific survey. So I wouldn’t actually know whether 9 of 10 or 99 of 100…
I repeat for a thousand time, Bulgarians speak better English than most of the European countries` citizens. We shall not put that at stake. I`m very disappointed I won`t be able to prove that in december, but I know that it is true. We learn fast…
Lucy: If you could help me to learn more quickly ....!!!
Thank you .. I have more: Kompass and Voila:
http://tr.voila.fr/traduction_voila.php?isText=1&translationDirection=fe&stext;=
http://www.kompass.fr/servicebiz_outil_traduction.htm
I hope link voila works.