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Media Pluralism Monitor 2017 - Croatia

Croatia is a country of approximately 4.3 million inhabitants situated between Central Europe, the Mediterranean and Southeast Europe. The main spoken language is Croatian. Croats make up more than 90 percent of the population. Croatia is a country with a multicultural and diverse minority population. There are 22 constitutionally recognized minorities. The main is Serbian with 4.4 percent followed by Bosnians (0.73%), Italians (0.42%), Albanians (0.41%), Roma (0.40%), and Hungarians (0.33%). The country has recently seen an influx of refugees from Africa, Syria and Iraq moving across the Western Balkan Route. The majority used the country as a transit route to Western European countries. In 2017 the GDP grew at an average 2.7 percent rate. The year was marked by financial difficulties of the company Agrokor, a major national and regional retail company with multibillion euro annual revenue. Managing its financial crisis caused major political concerns and controversies due to its overall impact on the Croatian economy and workforce employment. The company is also the majority owner of the main print distribution company Tisak and a major media advertiser. The government led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Bridge of Independent Lists (MOST) established the parliamentary majority after the elections in September 2016. However, the year 2017 was marked by the reshuffling and breakup of the coalition in the parliament. The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) remained the leading party in power after it formed a new coalition with the Croatian People’s Party – Liberal Democrats (HNS) - traditional partners of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). According to the available EU-wide data, television was still the medium of choice in 2016 used by 87 percent of the population watching it on a TV set every day. It is followed by the internet (49%), radio (43%), and print with 19 percent (Eurobarometer, 2016). Internet access in households was at 76 percent in 2017 which is below the EU-28 average of 87 percent (Eurostat, 2018). Croatia ranked second in Europe in 2017 with 91 percent of internet users reading online newspapers and magazines (Digital Agenda, 2018). The value of the digital advertising market is increasing. In 2016 advertising expenditure was focused on television (51%), print (17%) and the internet (14%). Between 2008 and 2016 the share of print advertising fell from 35% to 17%. In the same time period, the internet advertising expenditure rose from 1% to 14% (HURA, 2018). There have been no major legal or policy changes in the media sector in 2017. Reforms were announced multiple times but are continuously being delayed, thus exacerbating some of the well-known problems and issues in the media. These include politicized appointments and dismissals in the public service broadcaster (HRT), hate speech, poor working conditions for journalists, unresolved legal and financial status of non-profit and community media, and commercial influence over editorial content. Unresolved problems prompted two visits by the international mission for media freedom in 2016 and early 2018 led by the Southeast Europe Media organization (SEEMO), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Reporters without Frontiers (RSF), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), European broadcasting Union (EBU), and the Association of European Journalists (AEJ). The MPM assessment in Croatia scored a medium risk across all four main areas. Basic protection scores 36 percent. The main cause for concern in this area is access to the internet and insufficient high speed broadband coverage. In addition, the right to information is hampered by the reluctance of public authorities to provide requested information in a timely manner. Whistle-blowers have no legal protection in the country. Market plurality area scores 45 percent. A burning issue is commercial and owner influence over editorial content as well as poor regulation of cross-media ownership and competition. Political independence is highly problematic with a score of 59 percent. Major areas for concern are continuous political pressures in terms of appointments and dismissals in the public service broadcaster as well as overall poor management of the PSM, and poor legislative framework for appointing the General Director. The issues largely affected the scores in the indicators addressing editorial autonomy and the independence of PSM governance and funding. The continued political interference remains a top priority for media policy and reform. Finally, Social inclusiveness scores a medium risk of 65 percent. Amongst the most problematic indicators in this area is the access to media for minorities. While minorities do have access, it is not proportionate to the size of their population in the country. Such social inclusiveness issues are reflective of the overall trends in society and the impact of certain social groups on politics and decision making. For example, there were heated political debates over the adoption of the Istanbul Convention on the prevention of violence against women. Conservative social movements and civil society actors, as well as some members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, argued against the Convention on the grounds that it introduces gender ideology. It was accepted by the Parliament with an interpretative statement. Access to media for women is also highly problematic in this year’s risk assessment. The PSM does not yet have a comprehensive gender equality policy.

Media pluralism, media freedom, media independence, media policy

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