Conference review

International conference “The Changing Media: Professional, Regulatory and Ethical Challenges Facing Media and Communications in a Digital Environment”

For the sixth consecutive year, the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” brought together scholars and researchers from different countries within the framework of the international forum from the series “Communication and Media in the 21st Century.”

The 2025 edition of the conference, entitled “The Changing Media: Professional, Regulatory and Ethical Challenges Facing Media and Communications in a Digital Environment,” took place on October 30 and 31, 2025, online via Microsoft Teams, and brought together more than 60 participants from seven countries: Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovakia, Georgia, India, Poland, and Romania.

The papers covered a broad range of topics, from empirical studies to conceptual analyses, highlighting both the urgency and the potential of contemporary media research in an era of profound transformation.

The official opening was delivered by Prof. Vesselina Valkanova, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, who in her address placed emphasis on the role of the university as a space for critical thinking and ethical dialogue in the digital age. “A common thread connected all the studies presented here: the awareness that technological change is never merely technical. Automation reshapes workflows and business models; platforms redistribute visibility and authority; new interfaces alter the ways in which citizens encounter claims to truth. With these changes come questions of ethics, accountability, and professional identity, questions that universities must confront openly, critically, and responsibly,” Prof. Valkanova stated.

She emphasized that the mission of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication was to unite academic research and professional practice, and to educate generations of specialists who defend the public interest and uphold the standards of public communication:

“The academic community of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication has always believed that scholarship and professional practice should go hand in hand. We take pride in our tradition of educating students in journalism, public relations, publishing, and communication management, as well as in the generations of graduates who serve the public interest in Bulgaria and beyond. That tradition continued today through your presence and through the scholarly work you presented.”

In her speech, Prof. Valkanova also stressed: “As part of the mega-processes of globalization and digitalization of human activity and societies, and of media ecosystems around the world, Bulgarian journalism has been transforming under conditions of complex transitional processes and dramatic shifts in media policy, professional practice, and discursive practice. In periods of transformation and crisis, journalism and the media as public institutions have found themselves in various types of risk situations, threatening freedom of speech, professional standards, and ultimately pluralism and democracy.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication further underlined that it is precisely in times of crisis that we witness a growing need for quality journalism and journalism education, as well as an expanded potential for resilience against the negative influence of fake news and disinformation.

Academic partners of the sixth edition included Eastern Kentucky University (USA), the Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon (Portugal), Vilnius University (Lithuania), Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), and the University of Bucharest (Romania).

The conference programme included a plenary session and seven thematic panels held in Bulgarian and English, dedicated to current topics such as:

  • artificial intelligence, algorithms, and hybrid media;
  • digital infrastructures and audience practices;
  • trust and influence in the media;
  • political communication and democratic discourse;
  • platforms, influencers, and moderation;
  • journalism, culture, and democratic life.

Within the framework of the forum, participants discussed the professional, regulatory, and ethical challenges facing media and communication in the digital environment. In the first panel, the results of the empirical study conducted by the Media Survey Center at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” entitled “Processes of Implementation, Impact and Adaptation of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Media,” were presented.