REPORT Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

MEDIA MONITORING LABORATORY

October 2014 Media Monitoring: www.fmd.bg www.kas.de Parliamentary Elections 2014

The Foundation Media Democracy (FMD) (competition for beauty, intelligence, and the Media Program South East Europe originality, etc.). The political meaning of of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) the elections is reformatted by the mass present the results of the Bulgarian media media and, in general, by the cultural monitoring for the period June – October industry (participation of celebrities, 2014. The focus is on the coverage of the elections in VIP Brother, lifestyle piquant campaign for the National Assembly details, etc.) in legitimate prime time elections held on 5th October. The competition, in a show with superficial analysis includes media environment messages and “bubbling”, false cries, evaluation prepared by Todor P. Todorov, controlled alarm and other such signs Nikoleta Daskalova, Silvia Petrova, typical as well of circus as a cultural Bogdana Dencheva, Eli Aleksandrova, phenomenon. Maya Tsaneva and Vladimir Kisimdarov. Part of the monitoring is based on NATIONAL TV CHANNELS AND quantitative and qualitative data prepared DAILIES by the agency Market Links for the joint analysis of FMD and KAS. The main In recent months, the chairman of the party findings, by areas of monitoring, include: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (Grazhdani za evropeysko razvitie MEDIA DISCOURSE na Bulgaria, abbreviated GERB), Boyko Borisov, continued to be the leader in the The elections were marked by informational media presence with a hypersensitivity in self-regulation considerable advantage (of 1343 references manifested as self-censorship and to 901 for the second in the ranking, Rosen adaptability of the media. An example of Plevneliev, for the period 24 May – 3 this is the temporary suspension of political October). Borisov also remained the figure and commentary programmes on the that most often expressed attitudes in the Bulgarian National Radio, but also the media (thus exerting influence). persistent and complete introduction of a special regime of permeability and The good quantitative presentation of regulation of the talk in the media field. In President Rosen Plevneliev strengthened in this situation, the free and politically active all monitored media. In some TV channels journalism was partly suspended. he even surprisingly displaced Boyko Borisov. This fact is mainly associated with Another important trend is, paradoxically, the role of Plevneliev in relation to the the opposite – towards spectacularity and forming of the caretaker government, but routinizing of the event, where elections are also reflects a change in the media attitude treated by media agents as a product to be towards the overall policy of the President. offered and innovatively presented to the From negative and neutral in the previous audience. Such dimension tangibly detracts period monitored, the attitude towards him from the political meaning and adds to the evolved in a markedly positive direction. competitive, quasi-sports, contest meaning Similar was the change regarding the leader

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms more central place in the media agenda. In (Dvizhenie za prava i svobodi, DPS), Lyutvi the leading positions in the array logically MEDIA MONITORING Mestan. Also positive was the attitude appeared the name of the caretaker LABORATORY towards the new chairman of the Bulgarian government Prime Minister Georgi Socialist Party (Bulgarska sotsialisticheska Bliznashki appointed in August. The October 2014 partiya, BSP), Mihail Mihov, who has been governor of the Bulgarian National Bank monitored since the month of May this year. Ivan Iskrov and the European www.fmd.bg The rest of the politicians remained with Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva made www.kas.de negative media ratings. The government of breakthrough into the leading names in the Plamen Oresharski was criticized in all news as well. monitored TV channels and in almost all monitored newspapers. In television and The theme of EU-Russia relations in the print media the attitude towards the context of the crisis in Ukraine and the caretaker cabinet was mostly neutral. economic sanctions against Russia continued to be among the central news Again, some media (both television and stories during the last months. This central print media) conjuncturally changed their thematic nucleus, however, had little political orientation in 180 degrees. common ground with the other main topic during that period – the election campaign. The pre-election battle was marked by An important observation is that the minor general tone and by the lack of elections were talked about more in the serious clash of ideas. On the one hand, this months preceding the campaign than during fact could be viewed positively as it the campaign itself. Thus, paradoxically, contributes to the imposition of a better preconditions were created not to engage style in politics. Parties become more but distance the audience from the electoral careful in the usage of political language. process. On the other hand, however, there is a deficiency of important debates and Another important paradox relates to the journalism finds itself more or less limited lack of essential overlap between the to the genre of the political interview. election theme and the topics next in severity for that period – the case with the ONLINE MEDIA AND NEWS SITES Corporate Commercial Bank crisis and the national energy policy. Although both topics During the period 1 June – 10 October were presented as high-risk and of big 2014, Boyko Borisov, Rosen Plevneliev and socio-political importance ones, they were Plamen Oresharski continued to occupy the present as isolated thematic lines outside of top three places in the Index of intense the election coverage. Only the third most presence in news sites. The chairman of popular risk topic – of the natural disasters GERB strengthened and even improved his (the floods) – fell within the election position of the most often mentioned figure context, but mostly through the political PR in the news (index 85 of the maximum and image-making instruments (news about value of 100). President Plevneliev politicians who help people in distress registered a decline by only two points through volunteer work). Such party and (index 71), while the former Prime Minister media strategies additionally detracted from Oresharski saw apparent outflow of media the political charge of the campaign and attention (index 56, a decrease of 10 prevented the development of an in-depth points). political debate. The general impression was that of a deliberately blunted campaign that Compared to the first five months of the the media failed to energize. year, Sergey Stanishev (index 48), Georgi Parvanov (index 20) and Volen Siderov EUROPEAN THEMES (index 17) dropped in lower positions, while Delyan Peevski (index 51), Nikolay Barekov The European context carried little weight in (index 47) and Mihail Mihov (index 47) took the election campaign. In their media

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung appearance, the Bulgarian parties Politics was also presented as a disposable represented in the European Parliament put commodity. One of the few direct MEDIA MONITORING no accent on their belonging to the demonstrations of lifestyle image was the LABORATORY supranational political families. Although advertising of the effigy of Nikolay Barekov present in the media, the theme of EU- (Bulgaria without censorship, BWC) by the October 2014 Russia relations could not turn into primary plastic bags in some grocery stores. In this election accent. The hearings of the new sense, the political appears both an www.fmd.bg European Commissioners failed to attract inevitable product of daily necessity and a www.kas.de strong media attention. threat to the ecology. On the other hand, the politician’s image is reduced to an LIFESTYLE MEDIA object for consumption – which justifies the lack of ideas in favour of the promise of The lack of bright personalities and strong satisfaction of desires. political messages was clearly visible in the lifestyle media zone. Politicians are Downplaying the political can also be traced increasingly fleeing from their own political in the continuing analogy with football. In image, trying to borrow symbolic capital this campaign, too, GERB’s representatives from the stars of popular culture. In the most often used parallels between politics course of the campaign, the most significant and football. After number nine in the example of this was the joint interview of integral ballot was drawn, Tsvetan Radan Kanev (Reformist Bloc) and the Tsvetanov said that “GERB will be a center rapper Itso Hazarta (“Upsurt”) for the forward in this election campaign” and Capital newspaper. Once again, personal added that this was the number on the relations mixed with politics, the public was football shirt of the legendary footballer translated in the language of intimacy. The Georgi Asparuhov-Gundi. Another example politician and the rapper known for his in this direction was the refusal of Boyko cynical lyrics reaching vulgarity practically Borisov to give a press conference in the talked the same language (“there is no such election night since “from 22:00 Real Madrid moron”, “shitty country”). Political discourse are playing”. Politics is no longer equated to now borrows its means of expression from the football game but has gone down one the lowest layers of the speech. The hero more level in the battle for the interest of crisis and the aspiration that heroic lifestyle both the voters and the politicians be attracted from the sphere of popular themselves. Political figures would prefer culture can be interpreted as another level the image of football stars and even of fans, in the collapse of the trust in politics and which is a sign of the increasingly lower institutions. prestige of politics.

During the campaign, it was observed YELLOW PRESS (The Vseki Den and increased interpretation of political life Bulgaria Dnes daily newspapers) through the lens of astrology and numerology. After the drawing of the A key event in the period from the numbers in the integral ballot, both the European Parliament elections in May to the media and politicians started to make early parliamentary elections in October was numerological analyses to guess the the cessation of the negative campaign of election results according to the symbolism Vseki Den against Rosen Plevneliev. The of the numbers. The forecasts included President was present in the tabloid’s political as well as personal details (“Miss contents rather in reports and in his role of Doncheva will get married, Volen will not conciliator of political parties. At the same enter”). Thus the political moved into the time, the negative campaigns against realm of the supernatural: driven by Georgi Parvanov (ABV) and Meglena Kuneva invisible, mysterious forces, meaning also – (Reformist Bloc) continued, although not as beyond the control of the real political strong as in previous periods. The new big figures. victim of Vseki Den turned out to be the former BSP leader Sergey Stanishev.

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Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung After the strong presentation of GERB in the The tragedy in Gorni Lom (blast in an European Parliament elections, the Vseki explosives plant killed 15 people) influenced MEDIA MONITORING Den abruptly changed its tone – GERB and the tone of the campaign. Politicians LABORATORY Boyko Borisov got back on the pedestal and replaced the usual calls to vote and attacks the BSP and its former leader collapsed into against rivals on Facebook with words of October 2014 the abyss. This trend was visible both in the sympathy to the families of the casualties. selection of topics and interviews, and the www.fmd.bg expressed editorial opinions. Among the POLITICAL ADVERTISING www.kas.de more unexpected twists was the change of the attitude towards Nikolay Barekov – the The lifeless and passive election campaign leader of the BWC lost his glamorous image did not offer any memorable examples in from the pages of the Vseki Den. the field of political advertising. There were not confrontations and heavy clashes The Bulgaria Dnes continued the tendency between the major parties. It was felt that to register political blunders. The edition the main role of the advertizing materials focused its negative attitude on the was to inform the electorate about the chairman of the party Ataka, Volen Siderov. number of the respective The Vseki Den chose to ignore the coalition/party/candidate in the ballot. nationalist parties. In their campaign slogans, parties put their FACEBOOK stake on abstract values – stability (GERB), ease (NDSV), justice (BSP), and freedom The campaign for the parliamentary (DPS). In the advertising messages, worn elections in October strengthened the trend promises were laid down of a million jobs of the outflow of civil energy and (BWC), billions of euros of investments enthusiasm characteristic also of the (Kuneva, RB), as well as infantile tricks – European Parliament elections in May. While raffles for a ticket for a football match in 2013 social networks were the tribune for (Nastimir Ananiev of RB; ABV), a promise of expression of discontent and an arena to free Wi-Fi in Sofia (BWC), a hint for the organize protests and attract supporters for legalization of hemp (PP The Greens). The various causes, in 2014 the civil society on BSP – Left Bulgaria coalition tried to attract Facebook showed far more subdued political young unemployed voters with the activity. The exhausted civil enthusiasm was promotion of the measure “Youth evident in the lack of mass negative feeling Guarantee”. in the social network against a specific political phenomenon or entity. The effect of On the Internet, political advertising was the absence of a hatred catalyst also relates used actively by candidate members to the lack of motivation for voting. (mostly from the RB and the BSP-Left Bulgaria) for propaganda of preferential The monitoring did not recognize significant voting. Тhe Central Election Commission differences in the number of online responded to cases of violations and supporters of different persons and parties stopped the broadcasting of campaign in comparison with the results during the videos of the Bulgarian National Union – elections in May. The most liked party on New Democracy (BNS-ND), DPS and the PP Facebook continued to be Glas Naroden The Greens. (“voice of the people”). Boyko Borisov retained his leadership position among politicians and the number of his supporters exceeded by multiple times the results of his rivals. In the course of the campaign for the elections in October, strengthened support was felt towards the Reformist Bloc, which turned out to be the political choice of a large part of the active Facebook users.