Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria

What Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria does

AEJ-Bulgaria (Сдружение „Асоциация на европейските журналисти – България") is a Sofia-based non-profit association (сдружение) that operates as the Bulgarian national section of the international Association of European Journalists (AEJ), an organization founded in 1976. It functions as a membership-based professional association for Bulgarian journalists, editors, and media professionals, and holds an independent observer seat in the Council of Europe's Media Committee. Its primary mission is press-freedom advocacy, journalist safety, ethical standards, media literacy, and combating misinformation in Bulgaria.

The organization delivers its mission through a portfolio of programs and platforms rather than a unified software product. Core sub-brands include Factcheck.bg (a national fact-checking platform debunking misinformation), sCOOL Media (a school journalism platform reaching students and educators), Media Lab (a media innovation and training initiative), Real Stories (a documentary storytelling series), the Print Media Report (a paper/podcast on print media trends), and the annual 'New Horizons in Journalism' conference series (2021-2026). Distribution runs through a bilingual Bulgarian/English website (WordPress-based), active accounts across six social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, YouTube, RSS), a monthly newsletter, and recurring in-person and online events. Technology is standard association tooling; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are deployed.

AEJ-Bulgaria is funded primarily through individual membership fees, PayPal-accepted donations, and grants from foundations including the America for Bulgaria Foundation, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and European Climate Foundation, plus project support from journalism networks such as IJ4EU, ECPMF, IPI, and EJC. With 1-10 employees and no disclosed revenue figures, the organization operates at small-association scale. It is led by Chairwoman Irina Nedeva and is currently active, with website content dated August 2026 and upcoming programming scheduled for September 2026.

Name

Association of European Journalists - Bulgaria

Legal name

Сдружение „Асоциация на европейските журналисти – България"

Website

https://aej-bulgaria.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AEJ-Bulgaria is a Sofia-based non-profit journalism association and the Bulgarian national section of the international Association of European Journalists, serving Bulgarian journalists, students, and citizens through advocacy, training, and platforms including Factcheck.bg, sCOOL Media, and an annual conference series.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sofia, Sofia City

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: AEJ-Bulgaria generates revenue through annual membership fees charged to journalists who join the association. Members receive access to community events, training, and the organization's advocacy work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AEJ-Bulgaria is a non-profit professional association that represents journalists and media professionals in Bulgaria. It provides membership services, advocates for press freedom, organizes training programs and conferences, and operates specialized platforms including a national fact-checking service (Factcheck.bg), a youth journalism education platform (sCOOL Media), and a media innovation lab (Media Lab).

Product overview

AEJ-Bulgaria is a professional association for journalists that does not offer a unified software product. Instead, it provides a portfolio of programs and platforms including the Factcheck.bg fact-checking platform, sCOOL Media for student journalism, Media Lab for innovation, Real Stories documentary storytelling, the Print Media Report, annual New Horizons in Journalism conferences, and a monthly newsletter. These offerings are primarily content, community, and educational services rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Media Lab: A specialized media laboratory and project platform operated by AEJ-Bulgaria for media innovation and training.
• Factcheck.bg
• sCOOL Media
• Real Stories
• Print Media Report (Вестник за вестника)

Products and services

• Factcheck.bg National fact-checking platform that verifies public claims and debunks misinformation circulating in Bulgarian media, serving journalists, media organizations, and citizens seeking reliable information.
• sCOOL Media National platform for student journalism that provides opportunities and educational resources for young journalists and journalism students across Bulgaria.
• Media Lab Specialized media laboratory and project platform focused on developing new approaches to journalism, media innovation, and media literacy training for media professionals.
• Real Stories Storytelling initiative featuring documentary-style true stories from Bulgarian citizens and journalists, supporting human-interest journalism.
• Print Media Report Publication analyzing and reporting on trends and issues in the Bulgarian print media sector, available as a paper and podcast format.
• New Horizons in Journalism Conference Annual journalism conference series bringing together media professionals to discuss industry challenges, innovations, and professional development topics.
• AEJ-Bulgaria Newsletter Monthly email newsletter providing funding opportunities, training announcements, scholarships, media news, and analyses to subscribers in the journalism community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Factcheck.bg has been operational as a national fact-checking platform, with recent notable fact-checks including false claims about Japan, Kiril Petkov, Bulgarian gas supplies, and AI-generated content.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IJ4EU (Investigative Journalism for Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2026IJ4EU is a fund for investigative journalism in Europe. AEJ-Bulgaria publishes and promotes IJ4EU opportunities including the UNCOVERED 2026 conference in Budapest (September 17-18, 2026). The conference is organized by ECPMF jointly with IPI and EJC, with funding from the European Commission.
• Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Friedrich Naumann Foundation is a German political foundation that promotes liberal democracy, rule of law, economic freedom, and human rights. It has partnered with AEJ-Bulgaria on multiple events including the 2018 'Journalism (R)Evolution' media startups conference, providing both funding and programmatic support.
• America for Bulgaria FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe America for Bulgaria Foundation is an independent, non-governmental, non-partisan foundation that works to strengthen the private sector and democratic institutions in Bulgaria. It has provided financial support for AEJ-Bulgaria's website and multiple projects. The foundation's support is acknowledged on the organization's website and publications.
• ECPMF (European Centre for Press and Media Freedom)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECPMF organizes the annual UNCOVERED conference on investigative journalism. AEJ-Bulgaria promotes this event to its Bulgarian audience.
• IPI (International Press Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPI is part of the IJ4EU consortium and co-organizes the UNCOVERED conference. AEJ-Bulgaria collaborates by promoting events and opportunities.
• EJC (European Journalism Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEJC is part of the IJ4EU consortium and co-organizes the UNCOVERED conference. AEJ-Bulgaria collaborates by promoting events and opportunities.
• Guardian Documentaries and ARTEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEJ-Bulgaria published information about a joint funding initiative by Guardian Documentaries and ARTE offering up to £10,000 for short documentary films about democracy in Europe. The deadline for applications is September 14, 2026.
• European Climate FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEJ-Bulgaria partnered with the European Climate Foundation to organize a climate journalism workshop titled 'Forest Fires: Growing Risks and Challenges'.
• GIJN (Global Investigative Journalism Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEJ-Bulgaria promotes GIJN training opportunities, including a free online training on fundraising strategies for investigative journalism.
• Fulbright ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEJ-Bulgaria has a documented partnership with the Fulbright program, promoting opportunities for journalists.
• European ParliamentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEJ-Bulgaria promotes the European Parliament's young journalists training program, organized in partnership with BTA (Bulgarian Telegraph Agency).
• ENRS (European Network for Remembrance and Solidarity)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENRS organizes the Grand Stories Journalism Awards 2026 on the theme 'The End of the Cold War — 35 Years Later'. AEJ-Bulgaria promotes this competition to Bulgarian journalists.
• MOVE.BGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOVE.BG is a platform for value creators and a think-and-do tank for innovative solutions. It was a partner of the 2018 Journalism (R)Evolution conference organized by AEJ-Bulgaria.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Factcheck.org: US-based nonpartisan fact-checking organization; comparable as an operator of a national fact-checking platform analogous to AEJ-Bulgaria's Factcheck.bg, though at much larger scale and operating in a different media market.

Broad incumbents

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): New York-based independent press freedom organization promoting journalist rights globally; comparable mission and advocacy posture, but US-rooted and considerably larger than AEJ-Bulgaria.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Paris-based global press freedom organization with much larger scale; comparable as a press freedom advocacy body, but operates globally and at significantly greater scale than AEJ-Bulgaria.

Direct peers

• European Journalism Centre (EJC): Maastricht-based journalism support organization funding and training journalists across Europe; directly comparable as a journalism development funder and documented partner of AEJ-Bulgaria through IJ4EU.
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ): Europe-wide journalists' association representing over 320,000 journalists across 73 member organisations in 45 countries; directly comparable as a peer membership/advocacy body for journalists in Europe, frequently partnering with country-level groups on press freedom issues.
• International Press Institute (IPI): Vienna-based global press freedom network of journalists, editors, and media executives; comparable as a press freedom advocacy and investigative-journalism support body and a documented partner via the IJ4EU consortium.
• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN): International association supporting investigative journalism worldwide; directly comparable as a peer training/community body for investigative journalists and a documented partner that AEJ-Bulgaria promotes.
• Association of European Journalists (international): The parent international federation of which AEJ-Bulgaria is a national section; directly comparable as the same membership/advocacy model operating across European countries, sharing governance, mission, and member-recognition frameworks.
• European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF): Leipzig-based press freedom organization that organizes the UNCOVERED investigative journalism conference; directly comparable mission and a documented core partner of AEJ-Bulgaria (promotes UNCOVERED events to Bulgarian audience).

Regional players

• Bulgarian Media Union (BMU) / Union of Bulgarian Journalists: Historical Bulgarian journalists' trade body; comparable as a national-level membership organization serving Bulgarian journalists, but with a more trade-union orientation rather than press freedom advocacy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AEJBulgaria
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGOaDVmRTCJNO-xw60TFJZQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/aej.bulgaria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aejbulgaria
• Instagraminstagram.com/aejbulgaria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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