Protection of the confidentiality of journalistic sources – international standards and regulation in Bulgaria

Abstract

The protection of the confidentiality of journalistic sources is an important part of the freedom of speech, a basic prerequisite for the existence of civil society and a condition for the democracy in a state. The international standards in this field lay down clear parameters of the protection of sources. Nevertheless, it is necessary to have a detailed regulation of these social relations at the national level for the purpose of guaranteeing the rights and the legal interests of the journalists and the sources, as well as the public interest. This can be realized through a well-developed regulatory framework, which provides for protection of the confidentiality of sources and sets out the limits of this protection. That is the only way for the press and especially for the investigative journalism to be able to play the role of a social guardian.