Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to Relaunch Services in Bulgaria, Romania
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) plans to relaunch its news services in Bulgaria and Romania, starting from December 2018, aiming to strengthen the media landscape in both countries, the US-based media company said."We hope in particular that our coverage, carried out by local journalists, will help the growth of a free press, promote democratic values and institutions, and inform discussion in both countries of their place in NATO, the EU and other Western organizations," Thomas Ken, president of RFE/RL, said in a statement on Wednesday. Government officials, civil society representatives and journalists in both countries have expressed concern that disinformation, corruption, and social division are undermining their political systems, RFE/RL noted in its statement. The media company funded by a grant from the US Congress said it is offering its services in 20 countries where media freedom is restricted, or where a professional press has not fully developed. It previously served countries across Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria and Romania, before they joined the EU and NATO.