The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) condemns the attempt at intimidation, as well as the threats and insults to which our colleague Gabrijela Radanović, journalist at Dalmatinski portal and member of the CJA, was exposed while performing her journalistic work. Responding to a call from employees of Jadrolinija and the Port Authority, Radanović was working on a story about illegal taxi drivers in Split, who, before the eyes of the entire state and its institutions, are scamming tourists. While carrying out her reporting, our colleague was subjected by a group of illegal taxi drivers to serious threats against her safety and life, a barrage of insults, and the worst sexist outbursts.
The Croatian Journalists’ Association is deeply concerned about all of the above and demands an unequivocal response from the competent institutions against the individuals who behaved violently toward our colleague, who had clearly introduced herself as a journalist. An attack on journalists is at the same time an attack on the public, which has the right to accurate and verified information.
The attack on journalist Gabrijela Radanović is yet another proof of the dangerous atmosphere in which our colleagues work, especially those in local and regional media. We are concerned that such attacks are taken too lightly and, unfortunately, have become part of journalists’ everyday reality. The CJA cannot and will not accept the normalization of such a situation.
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Croatian Journalists’ Association,
Hrvoje Zovko, President of the CJA
Chiara Bilić, Vice President of the CJA
Drago Hedl, Vice President of the CJA