This document summarizes research on online reader comments on Bulgarian newspaper articles about a media war between two media groups. The researcher analyzed over 1,500 comments on two newspapers between 2010-2013. She found that the majority of comments (90%) were negative and took the form of conspiracy theories about the owners' connections, hatred toward the owners, or disengagement from the issues. There was little evidence the comments facilitated democratic debate, as discussions were dominated by speculation, insults, and disengagement rather than informed argument.

1. Newspapers’ online
discussion boards democratic tools or
conspiracy theory engines?
The case of Bulgaria
Dr Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova
v.petkova@chester.ac.uk
MeCCSA Conference
University of Bournemouth
8-10/01/2014

2. Table of contents
Contextual background
Research Design & Question
Preliminary findings

3. Contextual background
The German press group WAZ left
Bulgaria in 2010
Two Bulgarian groups are now the key
players on the market – The New
Bulgarian Media Group and Media
Group Bulgaria
An open war between the two groups
was waged on the newspapers’ pages
from 2011 till 2013 (until ownership
changed hands a few months ago)

4. Media war
Lubomir Pavlov,
Media Group
Bulgaria
•
Charged
(together with
his partner
Ognian Donev)
with money
laundering and
fraud
• A former
politician and a
banker
The war transcended Delian Peevski, New
Media Bulgarian
into the political,
Group
business and judicial
realms
• An MP,
The previous
government has been
accused of “indirectly
•
subsidizing
{Peevski’s}
conglomerate through
deposits by state
entities in an affiliated
bank” (Freedom
appointed as
Deputy Minister
at the age of 25
Appointed Head
of the State
Agency for
National Security
but withdrawn
due to mass

5. Research Question
Focus: Online readers’ reactions to
the articles discussing the media war
What role do these largely negative
stories play in the relationship
between newspapers and their
readers and to what extent do they
enhance the alleged “deliberative
democratic potential of online
discussion” (Richardson & Stanyer,
2011, p. 983)?

6. Research design
Keywords: the names of the media owners (and
their key associates)
After initial thematic coding, only the articles and
comments explicitly devoted to the media war were
coded
Key limitation: No comments allowed under articles
published by New Media Bulgarian group’s
newspapers
1,583 online comments in two newspapers (Trud
and 24 chasa) between December 2010 (when
WAZ sold its titles) and July 2013
Quantitative content analysis (SPSS) + qualitative

7. Topics
A TV presenter tearing to
pieces an issue of Trud on air
– 25.8%
Owner Pavlov’s press
conference, interview +
statement –18.8%
Distribution war – 19.8%
Die Welt’s article about the
state of the Bulgarian media
market – 6%

8. Engagement with other
readers
60.5% of the comments involved
engagement with other readers
Same topics attracted the highest degree of
engagement but in a different order:
1. Lubomir Pavlov’s press conference,
interview and statements – 25.3%
2. Distribution war – 23.6%
3. Barekov’s tearing of Trud to pieces –18.4%
4. Analysis published in Die Welt – 7.4%

9. Emerging themes*
1. A conspiracy theory narrative – readers
ignoring each other’s views and instead
arguing that anyone holding an opposite view
is on payroll at a rival press group, implying
links with politicians and businessmen
2. A hatred narrative – offensive comments,
cursing
3. A disengagement narrative – “We don’t want to
know: your problems are not our problems”
4. “The thief says catch the thief” narrative - they
are as bad as analysis of a third of the sample.
Based on qualitative thematiceach other

10. “Conspiracy theory”
narrative
Reader 1: It looks as if she is really making money. 6pm came
and she said “bye”. This means she posts for Vasilev {banker
affiliated to New Media Bulgarian Group) . BTW, she attacks
the right-wing billionaires but she doesn't know that it's exactly
Ivan Kostov {their leader and former PM} who created the
wonder Vasilev and Boyko (current PM) made him king.
Reader 2: As far as I can see, I was last writing at 17.49, not
18, can I take my child for a peaceful walk on Sunday evening?
Exactly because I'm not financially connected to any people,
i.e., I am not “a poster” on payroll. I couldn't care less about the
one with the moustache {Vasilev} and I don't like the fat
Peevski {PM whose mother owns the New Media Bulgarian
Group}. Unlike you I am not serving anyone. It's a pity for you,
you are in such a poor state exactly like your bosses Donev
and Pavlov {owners of rival press group}.
Reader 3: Desy, no need to excuse yourself. I know you're
guilty but take it easy. What was the walk like? Which park did

11. “Conspiracy theory”
narrative discussion boards
Reader 4: And I haven't occupied all
- you write only in 24 chasa and Trud because you are
on payroll and I'm having fun. I keep looking at other
media from time to time, unlike you. Don't look at them,
don't look at the comments about your bosses because
it will hurt and you will find out everything although you
look like an intelligent person and you know it. Yours is
causa perduta - and the more rubbish you write instead
of keeping silent the more you dig deeper into the s...t
Reader 5: Apparently, this is plamen1972's personal
forum. It's a shame, I thought that there is a discussion
here but as it turns out it’s s a paid fan site of the
competition...I'll come back later

12. “Hatred” narrative
Reader 7: All your papers are mercenary,
everything is lies and manipulation. You don't
deserve to exist.
Reader 8: What do you expect me to do become angry because of Donev's rugs 24
chasa and Trud? They need to die and I'd be
pleased to observe how they crush this rubbish
and I hope he and his family get attacked.
Reader 9: Barekov, you f…r, I hope you die and
burn in hell!!! Lowest creep, I hope you will
never find peace!!!

13. Disengagement narrative
Reader 12: That's enough! Barekov tore Trud to pieces
and the guild started shouting "fascism"! What is left
for Barekov and his people but to start shouting
"communism" and the show will be complete. The fight
for viewers and readers reached its culmination that's why they decided to drive the whole society
crazy. I don't want to know about your problems every
minute and hour of the day, you pseudo journalists
who have distanced themselves from real problems
and have focused so much on your owners' issues!
How much circulation goes down the toilets of millions
of Bulgarians and this is the greatest use of the so-

14. Disengagement narrative
Reader 13: Ladies and gentlemen, so-called
journalists, as an ordinary person, parent and user
of medicines, I couldn't care less about your hurt
pride. I don't want to pay for the medicines of
foreign people and countries. Aren't you ashamed
of yourself? Instead of covering this genocide
against the Bulgarian people with this criminal
drugs policy, you behave like pinched ladies who
have lost their virginity ages ago and now prostitute
their bodies. My grandmother receives a pension of
100 leva and from that money she pays 60 leva for
her medicines so I have to help her every month so
she does not end up in misery. My parents are

15. Readers’ verdict
Reader 14: The ancestors of the active fighters
against fascism and capitalism will kill each other.
They are all communists, that's why they've got the
money - they ripped Bulgaria off. But as the saying
goes - there is no happiness with stolen money.
Reader 15: I wonder who is the anonymous person
with issues who has written such a malicious and
simple-minded pasquile. I know there are normal
people who work in 24 chasa but I keep asking myself
what motivation they have got to go to work after their
bosses insist on them publishing such things and
signing them with the name of the whole editorial
team. It seems a lot more shameful to say that you
work for Papkata and Donev than to clean septic
holes. Wow! How times change - there was a time
when it was prestigious to work for 24 chasa or Trud.

16. Conclusion
Nearly 90% of all comments are negative
Conspiracy theory, hatred and
disengagement narratives dominate
Not much evidence of “the deliberative
democratic potential of online discussion”
(Richardson & Stanyer, 2011, p. 983)
Any potential for informed reasonable
argumentative discussion and hence
democratic debate is hindered by conspiracy
theory speculations, offensive posts and rude
insults.

17. References
Richardson, J., & Stanyer, J. (2011). Reader
opinion in the digital age: Tabloid and broadsheet
newspaper websites and the exercise of political
voice. Journalism, 12(8), 983-1003.