European Delegation Puts Croatian Media Freedom Under Spotlight

After visiting Croatia in June 2016, a European delegation is back in the country for a two-day visit.

The delegation comprises the South East Europe Media Organisation, the European Broadcasting Union, the European Federation of Journalists, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Reporters Without Borders and the Association of European Journalists.

The same organisations - without the Association of the European Journalists, but with the addition of the International Press Institute - visited Croatian in June 2016 and found the situation in the media troubled.

A journalist and editor from Croatia meanwhile say nothing in the last year-and-a-half has improved.

The European visitors voiced their concerns in a report published in August 2016, called "Croatia: Media Freedom in Turbulent Times".

This noted various pressures on journalists, political pressure on the national broadcaster, Croatian Radio-Television, HRT, and cuts to the public funding of non-profit media.

 "The situation in media was bad then, but it got worse, especially regarding political pressure on the media and HRT in particular," Jasmin Klaric, a journalist for the daily Novi list, told BIRN.

He recalled events in December, when the HRT veteran journalist and editor, Milorad Sikanjic faced the sack over comments he had made about Ivan Vrdoljak, head of the junior party in the governing coalition, the Croatian People's Party, HNS.

Speaking on the HRT radio showon December 19, Sikanjic referred to Vrdoljak as "politically dead" and "a moral corpse".

Klaric explained that although Sikanjic had remained in post, "solely due to media pressure", the threat to axe him had "sent a message to other journalists and editors on...