No. 18 (2025): Media and Silence

We are witnessing crises, wars, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and networks of dependency, while attempts to silence diverse voices continue. For a long time, the word silence accurately described public attitudes – silence stemming from dependency, insecurity, sadness, social pressure, or a sense of helplessness and despair. Over the past decade, however, a gradual yet unmistakable shift from passivity toward new forms of public expression has emerged. This tendency is visible both in global movements such as MeToo and in the 2025 Miss Universe contest. At the same time, in 2025 we saw large-scale public protests triggered by growing intolerance toward corruption and contentious budgetary policies in several countries, including France, Spain, Bulgaria, Mexico, Peru, Nepal, Kenya, Madagascar, Serbia, and the Philippines.

Thus, the period dominated by silence is slowly giving way to one marked by impatience and a desire for justice. Here, the role of the media is essential—whether they choose to report facts or speculate with them.

This issue of Mediolog brings together texts from the 10th National Scientific Conference “Media and Silence,” organized by the Department of Radio and Television and held from 17–19 September 2025 in the town of Kazanlak. The forum featured doctoral students as well as prominent scholars and lecturers from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski,” New Bulgarian University, and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The issue opens with a text by Strahil Delijski, who analyzes the main aspects of theoretical debates on the “silent majority” and the crisis in political communication. In her study, Ralitsa Kovacheva examines how conservative media supported by political power influence journalism in the United States. Desislava Sotirova continues the discussion with an analysis of Donald Trump’s communication strategy toward American media and his attempts at intimidation through institutional tools and legal action.

Nikola Venkov-Rose draws attention to shifts in paradigms within mass communication research, shaped by the varying importance attributed to propaganda in different historical periods.

Yosif Astrukov guides readers into the world of fiction, analyzing the dark predictions of a television series that mirrors contemporary reality – just one step ahead – Black Mirror.

We also present reviews of two academic publications: Svetla Koleva’s reading of Digitalization of Love: In Search of the Intimate Other by Nia Neykova, and Svetla Tsankova’s review of Media and Politics: Intertwining and Influence by Iliya Valkov.

In the second issue of 2025, we also include Petya Aleksandrova’s commentary on reports about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the silence of the Bulgarian authorities regarding its consequences.

The “Cultural Life” section offers a summary of the second joint exhibition by Ventsislav Dimov and Orlin Spasov, held at the Kazanlak Art Gallery, Detchko Uzunov House-Museum Branch (27 August – 12 November 2025).

This issue of Mediolog is published with the support of project 80-10-1 / 23.05.2025 of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”

From the issue’s editor:

Chief Assistant Professor Dr. Desislava Sotirova