The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) considers yesterday’s press conference held by Minister of Health Irena Hrstić on the Medikol affair to be a scandalous and discriminatory act, as not all media outlets were invited, but only selected ones—four television stations and HINA.
To make matters even more explicit, the Minister’s spokesperson stated in a comment to Index.hr that “the conference was organized on short notice and that they wanted Minister Hrstić’s statement to be broadcast in the main television news programs.”
It is hard to believe that this was not an attempt at media control surrounding the Medikol affair and the many unanswered questions to which the public has the right to receive answers. This kind of undemocratic treatment of the media is not an exception for the current government when it comes to its relationship with journalism, and this hastily arranged press conference for selected media was staged in a way that would make even Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko envious.
We request an explanation from the Ministry as to why they opted for such a discriminatory move, and we remind Minister Hrstić that she is a public official paid by all citizens of the Republic of Croatia, and that she has no right to act in ways that are not in the spirit of democratic societies.
Finally, we remind Minister Hrstić of Article 6 of the Media Act, which she has violated, and which stipulates that ministers and other public officials must be available to journalists under equal conditions.
On behalf of the Executive Board of the Croatian Journalists’ Association
Hrvoje Zovko, President of CJA
Chiara Bilić, Vice President of CJA
Drago Hedl, Vice President of CJA