"Feed the journalists" - this phrase that a Bulgarian foreign minister slipped off the record more than 15 years ago is still tempting Bulgarian politicians. And whereas back then the phrase was secretly recorded and caused a major media row, today, a cabinet minister has spoken up in this sense quite openly and in the company of media. Both media rows came on top of the agenda in the country and saw a rising wave of indignation from the public but in all likelihood the discussion about the healthy distance between journalists and the political class will soon subside.

"I have taken them with me to avoid rows” - this is the phrase that one of Bulgaria's incumbent cabinet ministers will be remembered with. The phrase was said on the occasion of a prestigious Bulgarian cultural event in Paris for which that cabinet minister had invited selected journalists and had paid for their travel allowances. The selection included reporters who had been providing media coverage of the preparation of the event, and the trip on board a government plane was just an icing on the cake.

Is it not the obligation of a media outlet as an independent institution to decide what event has relevance for the public and should be covered including by sending reporters with expenses paid by the outlet? This practice is not very popular in Bulgaria though. The question is about measure, because most of selected journalists accepted the minister's invitation as a reward for a job well done. This is strongly reminiscent of the times of communism, prior 1989.

Bulgaria's fragile democratic society including the fourth estate is still all at sea handling the theory of the separation of powers formulated by Charles de Montesquieu in 1748. And though the baron did not define the fourth estate - the media - the principle he coined is a basic ingredient of democracy. In modern times one of the foremost German journalists left a precious bequest to his young colleagues and it goes like this: "A good journalist does not allow himself to be taken in by any cause, not even a good one.” For more than 20 years a foundation named after Hanns Joachim Friedrichs (http://www.hanns-joachim-friedrichs.de/) awards young reporters for their work as independent observers. It goes without saying that the notion of completely neutral journalism is idealistic. There is not a journalist immune to influence. This however should not discourage us from the desire to achieve this ideal, to keep a distance, to safeguard our dignity and to record every step we make aside of this ideal. After all democratic conscience in society is created thanks to journalists who pursue their romantic ideals.

English Daniela Konstantinova

*The personal stand of the author may not coincide with the position of the BNR