The new Media Act should ensure a transparent process for appointing governing bodies and ensure the sustainability of professional journalism and the media, while making journalism a financially viable profession, as salaries in journalism today are comparable to those in the textile industry in developing countries. These were among the points made at the roundtable discussion “Media Freedom and Expectations from the New Media Act,” organized by the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) and held at the Journalists’ House.

Jože Strus of the European Commission, speaking at the opening of the roundtable, was asked by moderator Hrvoje Zovko to comment on the European Federation of Journalists’ criticism of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report, which, according to the criticism, underestimates the problems and threats facing the European media landscape as a whole. Strus said that the Commission applies the same methodology to all countries.

“We monitor media freedom and criticism in this area. We are currently preparing the 2027 report, and this is the right opportunity to hear all possible comments and concerns. We are aware of all the problems facing journalists and journalism, from financing to issues concerning the independence of regulatory bodies… Therefore, all criticism is welcome,” Strus said.

Asked about HRT and Hina and the failure to take into account concerns raised about these public-service media organizations, he said that these issues are addressed in two ways: through the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), with its implementation deadline, and through reports, which examine details, reforms and related matters more closely.

Appointments Independent of Politics
Maja Sever, President of the European Federation of Journalists and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (SNH), speaking about the ongoing process of appointing HRT’s Director General, said that CJA and SNH believe the way in which the procedure is being conducted does not comply with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

“Although the Act does not go into detail, it states very clearly that the appointment of governing bodies must be independent of political influence. We believe that this is not the case, regardless of the fact that both Prime Minister Plenković and the Ministry claim that everything is aligned with the law. Personally, I do not believe it is, and I believe there is also scope for complaint and legal mechanisms concerning violations in the implementation of the EMFA. In addition, I would point out that the Rule of Law Report very clearly expressed concern about the independence of the process for appointing governing bodies and expects this to be rectified by the end of the year through amendments to the legislation. My question is: why are we currently following the appointment of a Director General if the Government and the Ministry of Culture and Media have committed themselves to adopting a new HRT Act? Would it not be logical to do this once the Act has been amended and aligned with the requirements and provisions of the European Media Freedom Act, and then hold a new selection process for the Director General under those conditions?” Sever said.

Josip Popovac, Director of the Agency for Electronic Media, responding to a question about whether the Council should oversee the appointment of HRT’s Director General, said that, for the time being, the existing legal framework must be followed.

“The implementing legislation for the application of the EMFA indicates that the Media Council would, in one part, oversee the process, but that would anticipate a future model, because the Agency cannot oversee the work of Parliament. The EMFA only requires transparency and a non-discriminatory approach; it does not strictly prescribe what appointment models should look like. Different countries have different models. I would not say that the EMFA can be violated solely by the appointment model, because there are other issues as well, including the application of certain self-regulatory criteria to the public-service broadcaster, the organization’s internal criteria, and adequate funding. Ultimately, when a law is in force, it must be respected—that is the proper order of things,” Popovac said.

He added that, based on the Council’s practical experience, he expects the new Media Act to take an entirely different approach to market conditions and existing problems, and that he sincerely hopes for the deregulation of traditional media, radio and television, both in terms of advertising and the existing minimum requirements.

Massive Shift of Advertising Revenue
“We are seeing a massive shift of advertising revenue to social networks and platforms. The entire model of today’s media system has collapsed, and we need to consider how to sustain the media system as it currently exists. I believe it is an exceptionally good system, but someone has to pay for it. Through the new Media Act, we need to find a method and a way not only to sustain professional journalism and the media, but also to enable investment in them and their further development, and to make journalism a financially viable profession. Today, we see that salaries in journalism are at the level of those in the textile industry in developing countries,” Popovac said.

Tena Šimonović Einwalter, the Ombudswoman of the Republic of Croatia, speaking about expectations for the new Media Act, said it should be made clear that the EMFA does not prescribe a specific appointment procedure that would guarantee independence. It is left to the Member States to determine what they consider the best approach.

“However, given past practices, we should aim for the highest standards. Every appointment made in parliament carries a degree of political influence, and that cannot be entirely avoided. During the consultation process, we raised the issue of who nominates candidates in Parliament. A worse option is for a candidate to be nominated by the executive branch or the Government; a better approach would be for candidates to emerge through another procedure, for example through a public call or various hearings before the relevant parliamentary committee, with pluralistic elements included in the process,” Šimonović Einwalter said.

She also mentioned media financing through the introduction of a digital tax.

Introduction of a Digital Tax
She pointed out that digital taxes are in place in Austria, Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Hungary and Poland. The rates and specific arrangements vary, and the other speakers also agreed on the need to introduce a digital tax.

Regarding transparent appointments to media governing bodies, Hrvoje Zovko recalled that CJA had proposed that two CJA members from the journalistic community be included in the bodies responsible for appointments. The Government rejected the proposal on the grounds that no such arrangement existed elsewhere, to which CJA responded that the fact that something does not exist elsewhere does not mean that a high-quality model cannot be designed.

Šimonović Einwalter responded that, if there is a willingness to engage in dialogue and seek better solutions, it is possible to work towards the most appropriate and effective model in line with European best practices.

Bojana Božanić of the Association of Newspaper Publishers within the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP) emphasised that publishers expect the new Media Act to anticipate future developments in the media sector.

“The changes are substantial, including in media financing, where money is increasingly flowing to major platforms. Our proposals primarily concern media financing. One of the models we have adopted from Slovenia involves the state providing subsidies to support the transition from print to digital media. In this way, part of the salary costs of journalists and editors would be covered. Among other things, we are also proposing the financing of electronic subscriptions for students,” Božanić said.

Striving for a High-Quality Media Act
Andrea Hitner-Jančić of the Ministry of Culture and Media said that intensive work on the legislation was underway and would ultimately result in a draft of the Media Act. Regarding whether the method of appointing members of the Media Council would be changed, she said the issue would be discussed further.

“I hope we will get a Media Act that is both sound and of high quality. We can achieve this if everyone acts in good faith, so that journalism can move in the right direction and get back on track,” Hitner-Jančić said.

Ivan Novosel of Human Rights House warned that the process of drafting the Media Act fits into a broader pattern and represents a poor example of applying standards for public participation in decision-making and legislative drafting.

“We regret that civil society organisations have not been included. Nor were there any preliminary steps before the working groups were established that would have allowed particular groups to present their views and proposals and participate in consultations, thereby facilitating the work and contributing to the development of high-quality solutions,” Novosel said.

Milan Živković, a former media policy adviser at the Ministry of Culture and Media, addressed the decline in the number of people employed in journalism, noting that entire newsrooms and correspondent networks have disappeared and that media deserts now exist.

“There has also been an increase in state advertising, while commercial media have declined along with professional standards and professional approaches. At the same time, non-profit and local media have been hit by a catastrophe, as has HRT. Further erosion of the media can only be stopped through public funding. The only question is whether that funding will serve the public interest or the interests of politics or media owners.”

Goran Penić of the Society for the Protection of Journalists’ Copyright discussed how to ensure support for journalism as a public good in the age of artificial intelligence.

“AI can be a useful tool, but it can also pose a threat. Media legislation has not been amended for more than two decades, while the Copyright Act, which was adopted five years ago, already needs to be amended. We are at something of a turning point and facing serious challenges. Artificial intelligence is being debated, but while we are talking, everything has already been taken by the platforms. Content is being generated without compensation, and automated content is appearing that is often not even accurate. For us as a society, authorship matters, and these are our most valuable resources. This is about accurate information, and for that we need human authors and investigative journalism.”

Silvana Uzinić, a member of the CJA Executive Committee, spoke about newsroom statutes and compliance with them.

“They were very well conceived, but they have remained a dead letter because owners do not respect them and very quickly figured out how to circumvent them. One example is the newsroom vote on the appointment of the editor-in-chief. They found a provision allowing an acting editor to be appointed without seeking the newsroom’s opinion, and the whole system collapsed in all the major newsrooms in Croatia. Many newsrooms now do not even have a newsroom council, which used to have broad powers in terms of protecting professional and ethical standards. These councils were shut down through various forms of pressure, and this eventually led to editors-in-chief becoming implementers of the owners’ wishes rather than standing by their newsrooms,” Uzinić said.

Through this roundtable discussion, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) is opening a debate on the key obstacles to media freedom in Croatia. It emphasizes that the protection of media freedom is one of the key areas that the European Commission has repeatedly highlighted in its Rule of Law Reports on Croatia, and that the new legislative framework represents an opportunity to translate those recommendations into concrete public debate and policy solutions.