ZAGREB, 21.05.2018. – Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) strongly condemns ideas of potential relations between information published at index.hr portal and alleged activities of Russian hackers. CJA finds it to be irresponsible.
A title at the Globus Magazine cover, May 18, 2018, said „Is Martina Dalić down due to Russian hackers!?“ That statement, although with question mark, implied that index.hr is actually an instrument of Russian hackers, in other words of Russian interests. And Globus is the magazine that disclosed Lex Agrokor writers and their suspect able business arrangements in the process of re-structuring Agrokor corporation. The implication was not argumented or proved and article that was the base for the title was full of speculations. Index journalist Ilko Ćimić, who disclosed secret electronic communication, was not contacted at any point.
We want to remind the readers that index.hr portal has been more systematic in investigating Lex Agrokor background, its potential writers and lucrative business arrangements since spring 2017 then other mainstream media. Publication of secret e-mail correspondence between ex-vice president Martina Dalić tops that investigation of index journalists.
It is legitimate to put questions about ways e-mails of ex vice-president became public, but it has to be based on relevant information, not just speculations with clear goal of distracting major topic – what is going on with Lex Agrokor. The most important media task is to reveal information of public interest and not to distract it by defaming media that has published information about Agrokor case or is about to do so.