An orchestrated smear campaign has been launched against Marieta Nikolaeva (Мариета Николаева), a Bulgarian journalist with Nova TV (НОВА – https://nova.bg/) in Bulgaria, through the use of a manipulated photo that was widely distributed online. This effort to discredit Nikolaeva emerged shortly after she became the first Bulgarian journalist to be nominated for an Emmy Award for her significant achievement in the field of investigative journalism.
The campaign began with a fabricated image of Nikolaeva that appeared on a website and reportedly originated in a closed Telegram group. From there, the image was allegedly further disseminated by other websites.
This smear campaign has raised concerns about the spread of disinformation through networks of interconnected websites, which can amplify false narratives and damage the reputation of targeted individuals. The case involving Nikolaeva is a prime example of how disinformation can quickly gain traction, especially when shared by multiple outlets simultaneously. Adding to the concern is the fact that more established media outlets have republished the manipulated content, giving it further credibility.
Nova TV investigative journalist Marieta Nikolaeva and cameraman Tassi Asenov (Таси Асенов) have made history by becoming the first Bulgarian journalists to be nominated for an Emmy Award in the News & Current Affairs category. Their nominated coverage shed light on Bulgaria’s worst refugee tragedy near Lokorsko (Локорско), Bulgaria where 18 migrants were found dead in a truck used for human trafficking. Six survivors, who were escaping from Afghanistan, shared their harrowing experience with Marieta and Tassi, detailing their struggle to survive the journey. This story, under the name Tragediata v lokorsko covered with great depth and empathy, earned them this prestigious nomination for 2024 for the International Emmy Awards.
The campaign against Nikolaeva has sparked wider discussions about the need for transparency in media ownership and the challenges of combating disinformation in Bulgaria’s online media landscape. There are also ongoing calls for authorities to investigate the dissemination of false information and to hold accountable those responsible for targeting journalists and other public figures with disinformation campaigns.
Nikolaeva (ety_nikolaeva ) has over 24 years of experience in criminal and investigative journalism. In 2002, she joined the Nova TV team. From 2010 to August 2022, he was engaged at bTV. In 2022 she returned to Nova TV. She is the author of many investigative reports in almost all fields. An Nova TV interview with Nikolaeva (in Bulgarian langauge) where she speaks about this photo manipulation is online visible:
https://www.vbox7.com/play:eb07e10f89&start=187
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the recent coordinated attempt to discredit investigative journalist Marieta Nikolaeva from Nova TV. This attack represents a dangerous escalation of harassment against journalists who perform their duties with integrity and courage, particularly following her prestigious Emmy Award nomination. SEEMO stands in solidarity with Nikolaeva and reiterates that it will be closely monitoring this case, urging the relevant authorities in Bulgaria to investigate this case and take appropriate action against those responsible for this targeted disinformation campaign.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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