Masterclass: Самиздат to Federation

Building Independent Media on Community-Owned Infrastructure Facilitated by Desislava Pantcheva What can independent media learn from самиздат—the tradition of self-publishing—where communities, shared resources, and alternative distribution networks have long been essential to staying independent? This masterclass explores Bulgaria’s independent media landscape through the lens of self-publishing, cultural production, and federated infrastructure. It asks how media can move beyond dependence on dominant platforms to build more resilient, collaborative, and community-rooted ecosystems. From zines and grassroots publishing to decentralised digital networks, we will look at how independent practices can inform new ways of producing and sustaining journalism. At a time when trust, visibility, and economic survival are under pressure, federation offers more than a technical solution: it opens up possibilities for cooperation, shared ownership, and stronger relationships with audiences. What can independent media borrow from other forms of cultural resistance—and how these lessons might help shape a more plural, connected, and sustainable media future in Bulgaria?