By the decision of the members of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), this year’s title of Journalist of the Year was awarded to Nataša Božić Šarić. In a highly contested electronic voting race, she emerged victorious with 125 votes, while Hrvoje Šimičević and Dora Kršul each received 116, and Ilko Ćimić garnered 79 votes. Out of 454 CJA members who voted this year, 18 votes were invalid.

While awaiting the results for the best journalist of the year, the annual awards ceremony of the CJA, held at the Journalists’ House, honored the late colleagues Mislav Baga and Vladimir Matijanić with the Otokar Keršovani Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other winners this year include Hrvoje Ivančić, Igor Kralj, Ilko Ćimić, Zdravko Fuček, Barbara Majstorović Ivezić, Marino Grgurev, and Dora Kršul.

Recognition was also given to deserving CJA members with the Milan Grlović Awards: Ottone Novosel – Franz, Luka Brailo, Giacomo Scotti, and Danijel Popović. This award is given to outstanding journalists, members of the CJA, for their long-standing work and significant contribution to the development of the journalistic organization and the profession’s reputation, as well as the strengthening of media freedom; to journalists who have excelled in the work and activities of the CJA. The decision to award the Milan Grlović Recognition was made by the CJA’s Central Committee. Explanations of the Milan Grlović awards and CJA prizes can be found here.

In his introductory speech at the ceremony, CJA President Hrvoje Zovko welcomed everyone to the annual award ceremony of the Croatian Journalists’ Association for 2022, stating that we have greeted this year’s World Press Freedom Day with at least 945 lawsuits against journalists and media outlets. Zovko added that this figure of at least 945 lawsuits reflects the alarming pressure on our profession.

“In reality, it is more than 1000. We can now speak of a culture of lawsuits aimed at intimidating and destroying us. A lawsuit against one journalist, one media outlet – is a lawsuit against all of us. We must always bear this in mind and show solidarity with each other. The fight against censorship, various pressures, and for better working conditions is a fight that will accompany us throughout our lives. But from this place, we clearly send a message to the powerful: gentlemen, you will not succeed. You will not silence brave journalists, not even those at the local level, regardless of the pressures from various local sheriffs. On World Press Freedom Day, we also send a clear message to the Prime Minister and all those who want to sanction so-called leaks of information to cover up the political damage of their scandals. We will fight against this dangerous intention aimed at whistleblowers, journalists, and media outlets that publish information of public interest using all legal means at our disposal. Despite all the weaknesses of our profession, it makes this society better. Imagine what society we would live in without journalists? It would be complete darkness. Do we want such a society? No! We must never betray the journalism profession or all those brave generations of colleagues who have shaped it. The Croatian Journalists’ Association, founded 113 years ago, remains a key institution in defending journalism,” said Zovko, adding that the past year was very difficult.

“Unfortunately, we have lost the best among us, who were not only outstanding journalists but also good people, our friends whom we will never forget. Just as we will never stop seeking the truth and accountability for the death of Vladimir Matijanić,” said Zovko, noting that the list of all nominees, as well as those awarded and finalists for the selection of Journalist of the Year, shows the best we have. – These are brave colleagues who have repeatedly proven themselves with courageous and uncompromising work, work for the public, which is our only ally. Because journalism is a public good, and there is no compromise… The fight continues! Long live!” Zovko concluded.

The awards ceremony followed, with much anticipation for the results of who would win the race for journalist of the year. Jury President Hrvoje Krešić stated that the decisions made were neither easy nor simple, but he believes they did a good job, and the awards went to the right hands.

This year’s recipient of the Journalist of the Year award, Nataša Božić Šarić, said that in such strong competition, she did not expect to win. “That’s why I didn’t prepare a speech, and I think my colleagues have shown with their work what real journalism means,” said Božić, thanking everyone who contributed to her winning the award.

“The callousness of those we pay and those we elect, as well as the lack of interest in the most vulnerable among us, have always bothered Nataša Božić Šarić. The uncompromising fight for the weaker ones, for those in trouble, who cannot do without the help of the system, while the system does not care for them, is innate to her, and turning a blind eye to the misfortune of the weaker, shrugging or turning away is not an option for her, but quite the opposite, a trigger for action. If the system is flawed, and it is quite clear that it is flawed in so many cases, she will do everything in her power, through her work, the topics she raises, her interlocutors, and most importantly, the right questions and insistence on answers, to shake up the public, the system, and help those in need. This stands in the jury’s explanation in Nataša Božić Šarić’s nomination, adding that her work in the “TNT” magazine of N1 television is an example of how responsible journalism aimed at the public good and citizens can change society for the better.

It was particularly emotional at the award ceremony for two lifetime achievement awards, honoring colleagues who are no longer with us. Paula Bago’s niece accepted the award on behalf of the Bago family, while Andrea Topić received the award as the life partner of Vladimir Matijanić. “He always gave his all at work, and I can say that Vlado was the best journalist,” said Topić, adding that journalists often sacrifice their health while doing their jobs and should fight more for themselves and their rights. HND President Hrvoje Zovko read a letter from Dunja Matijanić, thanking friends and colleagues and expressing hope that the fight to hold those responsible for Vlado’s premature death will continue.

As stated in the justification for Mislav Bago’s lifetime achievement award, he has been the most influential television personality over the past 30 years.

“He irreversibly changed the way television reporting is done, especially in covering the work of top state officials. He was like a boxer standing in the ring against stronger opponents, but he fought with heart and mind for victory and never allowed fear or opportunism, so common in the lives of us journalists, to block him,” as beautifully described by colleague Boris Rašeta. It is noted that he selflessly shared his knowledge with young colleagues, was modest and honest, and made significant contributions to the journalism profession. For years, he was active in the Croatian Journalists’ Association – serving as its vice president – and received four HND awards, including Journalist of the Year.

Vladimir Matijanić is highlighted as arguably the best journalist of his generation, one of the last of his kind in the media scene, a man full of empathy who fearlessly debunked national myths and exposed injustices throughout his career until his untimely death. “He was an uncompromising fighter against injustice and lies throughout his career, from Student List and Feral Tribune to Slobodna Dalmacija and Index, where he worked until his premature death. He was a persistent and stubborn man who dedicated days and weeks to his work, often targeting local powerbrokers with special journalistic passion and courage,” among other things stated in the justification for the award. It is added that, unfortunately, posthumously Matijanić proved all the rot and helplessness of the Croatian healthcare system.

Hrvoje Ivančić received the Marija Jurić Zagorka Award for his outstanding reports from Ukraine, which became the most media-covered part of the world with the onset of war in that country.

Igor Kralj was awarded the Nikša Antonini Award for his photograph of the impressive Pelješac Bridge, published on the cover of Večernji list and other media outlets.

Zdravko Fuček won the Marija Jurić Zagorka Award for radio journalism for his report on the ship Galeb broadcast on the Third Program of Croatian Radio.

Ilko Ćimić received the Marija Jurić Zagorka Award for internet journalism for his thorough coverage of financial market regulators, particularly the Croatian National Bank and the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency.

Barbara Majstorović Ivezić was awarded the Marija Jurić Zagorka Award for television journalism for her story on the most vulnerable category of citizens, the elderly and the helpless. She stated that the award belongs not only to her but also to numerous cameramen, editors, and employees of the home who participated in this sad story.

“In early February 2022, former employees of a nursing home in Stupnik near Zagreb contacted Nova TV journalist Barbara Majstorović Ivezić, revealing inhumane conditions in which the residents live, as well as the illegal work of the home’s owner and her assistant,” stated the jury.

The Žarko Kaić Award for television camera work went to Nova TV cameraman Marin Grgurev, who, in February 2022, portrayed the lives of two women, mother and daughter Nada and Dragana Boromisa from the vicinity of Dvor on the Una River, with journalist Maja Medaković. The story they filmed depicts women living in a dilapidated house in the 21st century, where they solve draft problems with adhesive tape. The floors are earthen but clean and tidy. There are no neighbors. Nor is there enough means to live.

Dora Kršul received the Jasna Babić Award for investigative journalism for her detailed series of investigative articles published on the Telegram.hr portal at the end of 2022, describing the scale of incomprehensible spending of public funds at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb. The series was initiated by the results of the Budget Oversight of the Ministry of Finance, which was made possible by earlier discoveries by this journalist.

TUCJ: WITHOUT STRONG UNIONS, THERE ARE NO COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS

It’s time to wake up and organize into stronger unions, without which there can be no collective agreements, no workers’ rights, nor united strength of workers to solidarily defend their hard-won rights against employers, stated the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists on the occasion of International Labor Day.

Every year, we pay tribute to the first labor activists and the sacrifices they made to secure the rights to 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest, and 8 hours for culture and education at a time when both adults and children worked daily for 12 to 16 hours for meager wages, reads the statement from TUCJ signed by President Maja Sever.

The murders, arrests, and sacrifices of the first generations of unionists, which continue in some countries to this day, have secured today’s workers with their well-regulated rights – which they have now taken for granted.

The distancing from unions occurred in former socialist countries due to well-regulated workers’ rights, with the former system generally, along with unions, being labeled as the specter of “non-people regimes,” it is stated.

The stigma and fear of consequences have deterred many workers in transitional countries from joining unions, which has been welcomed by employers, claims TUCJ, noting that similar situations exist in Croatia.

Economic and financial crises, the coronavirus pandemic, and the aggression on Ukraine have shaken economies across Europe and the world, along with the latest technological revolution, which negatively affects the position of workers, emphasizes TUCJ. They explain how “working conditions are noticeably deteriorating, job security is rapidly disappearing, insecure forms of work of all kinds are spreading like wildfire, inflation significantly reduces wages, and the working hours of many workers are rapidly increasing.”

“Will we squander all the progress made in the last 137 years with our passivity?” asks TUCJ, referring to the round-the-clock availability of workers, even on weekends and holidays, which has occurred due to the new technological revolution.

They cite the example of eight EU countries that, thanks to strong unions, have secured the right to be unavailable to the employer after working hours.

With strong unions, we too will one day be able to turn off our phones at the end of the workday, and in case of a call, the employer will see a generic message saying ‘Dear, my working hours are over. I will get back to you tomorrow morning,’ concludes the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ).

Source: TUCJ and Hina

CJA WARNING: PUBLISHING A MURDER VIDEO IS A GROSS VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS OF CROATIAN JOURNALISTS

Following yesterday’s publication of an explicit murder video in the Ritz club in Zagreb, the Croatian Journalists’ Association calls on the editorial board of Jutarnji List to promptly and without delay remove the mentioned content from its pages and apologize to the Croatian public for its publication.

The publication of such content is not journalism, it serves no public interest, and it represents a lack of morality and respect for the victim and their family.

The Code of Ethics of Croatian Journalists prescribes that journalists should protect a person’s privacy from sensationalist and any other unjustified exposure to the public. We are convinced that the moment of death falls into the sphere of a person’s privacy that journalists should protect from sensationalist and any other exposure to the public. We believe that a person should have the right not to be exploited by the media at the moment of death in such an extremely sensationalist manner aimed at attracting an audience, clicks, and subscribers. The Code of Ethics of Croatian Journalists also stipulates that special attention, care, and responsibility are required when reporting on “suicides, accidents, personal tragedies, illnesses, deaths, and violent acts.”

Journalists should avoid depicting individuals directly or indirectly affected by these events unless there is an exceptional public interest. In this case, the CJA simply does not see such exceptional public interest.

The video that reached the wider public through Jutarnji List should have been exclusively for the police to establish all the facts of the event, rather than being served to the public. We find the publication of such deeply disturbing content, devoid of any hint of public interest, and labeled as “exclusive” content, incomprehensible and incompatible with journalistic ethics and the profession as a whole.

For 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

Positive steps forward in prosecuting attacks undermined by increasingly hostile climate created by political leaders

Following a visit to Belgrade on April 10 and 11 2023 to commemorate the murder anniversary of editor and publisher Slavko Ćuruvija, the International Press Institute (IPI) today joins the undersigned international press freedom and journalists’ organisations in issuing a stark warning over the state of media freedom and journalists’ safety in Serbia.

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, our shared conclusion is that 24 years after the murder of Ćuruvija in 1999, poor conditions for the safety of journalists, the weak landscape for the rule of law, media capture and a festering climate of hostility towards critical reporting mean that the likelihood of a serious physical attack on a journalist remains a possibility. Independent journalism in Serbia continues to face a period of crisis.

The dedicated work being done by some stakeholders to prosecute attacks on journalists is being undermined by the wider climate of hostility being generated by leading politicians in Serbia. Until this is addressed and the public discourse regarding critical journalism is normalised, tangible progress will remain elusive.

These conclusions come after multiple meetings with independent journalists and editors, media associations and unions, the Standing Working Group for the Safety of Journalists, which included a representative of the Ministry of Interior.

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Serbia exhibits a unique situation in which insults and attempts to discredit watchdog journalism stem overwhelmingly from leading politicians, including the President Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister Ana Brnabić  and ruling party MPs. Our assessment is that Serbia is one of the EU candidate states where journalists face the strongest verbal pressure and attacks from the state leadership. Critical and investigative journalism is still viewed by many public officials as an unpatriotic threat to be fought, rather than a healthy and necessary part of the country’s democratic fabric. 

This failure of the political class to accept and respect the role of critical journalism is dangerous. Smears launched by political figures are routinely picked up and reported by a network of tabloid media outlets owned by allies of the government who amplify the messaging, fomenting distrust and hatred against certain journalists. This behaviour by politicians normalises hostility towards independent media and, in many cases, acts as a signpost for physical as well as online threats by non-state actors.

It is no surprise that Serbia remains one of the most dangerous places in Europe, outside of Ukraine, to work as a journalist. In 2022, the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) documented 137 violations: 34 verbal threats, nine physical attacks, four attacks on property and 84 different attempts to pressure the media. Until the end of March 2023, 33 serious incidents were recorded: eight verbal attacks, three physical attacks and 22 acts of pressure on media and journalists. Investigative journalists probing high level crime and corruption are particularly at risk and are demonised as foreign mercenaries and national traitors.

While multiple state-backed initiatives have been launched to address the safety of journalists, their effectiveness is undermined by political attacks on journalists which compromise authorities’ efforts. The Standing Working Group on the Safety of Journalists, established in 2016, is an important initiative and a platform for the exchange of information between law enforcement authorities and media, allowing more systematic monitoring. The prosecutor’s office has established a network of dedicated contact points across Serbia which must act quickly in cases of threats. The 24/7 toll-free SOS helpline for journalists whose safety is threatened represents an important instrument for quick responses, along with networking of competent institutions and offering assistance to endangered journalists. In a welcome development, the number of physical attacks recorded in 2022 dropped compared to the previous year.

However, while law enforcement authorities have increasingly identified alleged perpetrators and brought indictments, justice has proven much harder to secure. In 2022, 81 criminal reports were submitted to the public prosecutor’s offices, yet just five convictions were reached. Though certain investigations have faced legitimate barriers in securing evidence, in some cases journalists complain that serious threats are assessed by prosecutors as not meeting the threshold of criminal offences. As of March 2023, 41,96% of cases submitted to the prosecutor’s office were dismissed for this reason. Journalists also raised concerns that politically sensitive cases, including attacks involving members of the ruling party, were not addressed appropriately. While the Standing Working Group functions adequately on paper and stakeholders are committed to its success, its work is undermined by a lack of political will and the wider climate of hostility. The separate Working Group for Security and Protection of Journalists, established in December 2020 with the backing of the Prime Minister, has been a failure.

On the other hand, the Commission for the Investigation of Murders of Journalists is another important initiative and has been fundamental in the fight for justice for Slavko Ćuruvija. Despite progress in the investigation of the Police Working Group within the Commission in identifying possible killers, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime continues to hesitate on taking over the investigation into the murder of journalist Milan Pantić, while the mysterious death of Dada Vujasnović remains unsolved.

Despite the many challenges, there are some positive developments this year. The March 2023 retrial verdict sentencing perpetrators including a former Belgrade (Grocka municipality) president to five years in prison for the arson attack on the home of journalist Milan Jovanovic is a welcome victory. With an appeal underway, however, justice for this attack has not yet been secured. Swift indictments and prosecutions in early 2023 for the threats made against journalists at OK Radio by a powerful businessman in Vranje were positive. The recent sentencing to one year of house arrest to a man who issued appalling death threats against TV Nova S journalist Jelena Obućina is also a welcome development. However, the willingness and ability to effectively prosecute such attacks appear to extend only to cases where there was political pressure or where the alleged perpetrators lack political connections, indicating a lack of independence of law enforcement bodies.

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At the wider level, however, no progress has been made in strengthening the landscape for media freedom and freedom of expression. Media pluralism remains particularly weak, with independent broadcast media systematically disadvantaged in the market. The clearest example was the controversial decision in July 2022 by the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) to again award all four national frequencies to pro-government television channels, overlooking applications by independent media houses. A fifth licence has yet to be allocated. The REM continues to display a lack of functional independence and has failed to carry out its duty of sanctioning violations of broadcast law by private channels close to the government. Delays continue in the long-overdue reform of the law on public information and media and the law on electronic media.

The public broadcaster continues to suffer from a lack of editorial independence and displays clear bias in its programming and reporting in favour of the government. State advertising – which has for years been the largest advertiser in media – also continues to be distributed in an arbitrary and non-transparent manner, largely in favour of pro-government media outlets. Rather than being disqualified from the co-financing program for regular violations of journalistic ethics, as identified by the Press Council, tabloid media continue to receive large amounts of public money. This use of state resources is one of the prime levers for the government to co-opt and control media coverage. While the direct ownership of private media by the state is banned, the purchase by state-owned and controlled Telekom Srbija of multiple media assets in recent years has established an indirect state ownership model. This is a prime example of media capture in Serbia. Taken together, these developments have cemented a pro-government narrative at the expense of independent journalism.

In addition to physical threats, independent media also face numerous legal challenges. Investigative platforms such as KRIK are being buried under an avalanche of vexatious lawsuits, both civil and criminal, meaning they are forced to dedicate valuable time and money to defending themselves in court. While the courts have recently thrown out clearly vexatious lawsuits, Serbia continues to be one of the worst countries in Europe for Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and the number of documented cases is on the rise. Plaintiffs are most commonly public officials, politicians, businesspeople and companies. A recent case involving two SLAPP cases initiated against BIRN by the mayor of Belgrade is a prime example.

Overall, media freedom in Serbia remains in a poor condition. No one has yet been ultimately found guilty of the murder of a journalist. The climate of threats against journalists is at its worst point in many years. Media pluralism continues to be weak, with the ruling party overseeing a captured media ecosystem. The shared view of our international organisations is that, while important work on effectively prosecuting attacks on journalists has had a positive impact, this progress has been undermined by engrained challenges in ultimately securing justice and the wider climate of hostility towards critical journalism being fostered by political leaders. On balance, these combined factors mean Serbia continues to be held back in its commitments to improve media freedom as part of the EU accession process. We therefore recognise no overall progress since the fact-finding mission of the MFRR in April 2021.

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This status quo must not continue. It is vital that the international community recognise the seriousness of the current situation for independent journalism in Serbia. In the coming months, our organisations will be giving as many platforms as possible to independent Serbian journalists to share their experiences first hand. International pressure will be central to enacting positive change. We therefore call on the European Union to ensure that media freedom in Serbia is a priority in the context of  the rule of law and democracy. We also urge EU leaders and officials to urgently raise the issue of pressure on journalists by high-ranking politicians during meetings with Serbian officials. Future progress reports on EU accession should fully reflect the seriousness of the situation and outline  for meaningful reforms. International bodies such as the OSCE and the Council of Europe must continue to address these issues head on. The upcoming report by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression following her mission to the country should be forceful in its assessment of the situation.

Twenty-four years after the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija, the conditions for the safety of journalists in Serbia are alarmingly reminiscent of the period in which he was killed. The upcoming appeal court verdict for the murder will be the most consequential for media freedom and journalism in decades, and will act as a litmus test for the rule of law and democracy more widely. If guilty verdicts are secured, we hope this can act as a catalyst for concrete change moving forward. Our international press freedom and journalists’ organisations organisations will do all we can to support free and independent journalism during this time.

Signed:

ARTICLE 19 Europe

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

International Press Institute (IPI)

OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)

Reporters Without Borders (RSF)

The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation

• To mark #WorldPressFreedomDay on May 3, the MFRR is hosting a webinar focused on the crisis facing independent journalism in Serbia. Register here

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States, Candidate Countries, and Ukraine. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.

The Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) strongly condemns the inflammatory articles and incitement to hatred towards colleagues working at the Novosti weekly and Vida TV, published in the latest issue of Hrvatski tjednik. The article, authored by Ivica Marijačić, literally states, “Croatia pays nearly 80 instigators in Pupovac’s media nests for a special war against Croatia.” Preceding this extremely dangerous text was a horrifying cover page headline stating: “Plenković is paying this €600,000! 80 Pupovac media mercenaries from the two nests Novosti and Vida TV paid by Plenković with our money for a special war against Croatia.”

Labeling certain journalists and media outlets, whose publisher is the Serbian National Council, as “Chetnik nests,” “ultra-Serbian chauvinists,” “haters of Croatia and the Croatian people,” and “enemies of the state,” constitutes hate speech that should be addressed by criminal prosecution authorities in any democratic country. It is reasonable to consider this as incitement to hatred against members of the Serbian national minority in Croatia and journalists working in the mentioned media outlets. In this context, the publication of the names of editors, journalists, and collaborators of Novosti and Vida TV, cannot be interpreted otherwise than incitement to violence against these individuals on a discriminatory basis.

The writing of Hrvatski tjednik from issue to issue, obsessed with the alleged endangerment of the majority population, is not journalism, and there cannot be talk of freedom of speech. This is the worst kind of media mire used to incite hatred towards all minority groups in society, towards journalists and politicians they disagree with. In short, towards anyone who thinks differently. The same magazine engages in historical revisionism, referring to Ante Pavelić as a “great patriot.”

Moreover, the editor-in-chief of this obscure and inflammatory weekly, Ivica Marijačić, was sentenced last year, as reported by the media, to a one-year prison term with a three-year probation period for revealing the identity and publishing photos of a minor rape victim. By a non-final verdict of the court in Zadar, he was found guilty of the criminal offense against marriage, family, and children – violation of the child’s privacy.

It is worth mentioning that – according to the verdict in the “Fimi media” affair – three million kuna stolen from public companies were forwarded to the owner of Hrvatski tjednik, Ivica Marijačić, to prevent him from writing against the Croatian Democratic Union.

For the Executive Board of the CJA,

Hrvoje Zovko, President of the CJA

Chiara Bilić, Vice President of the CJA

Dragutin Hedl, Vice President of the CJA

Twenty-four years after this killing event, the public still does not know all the facts that led to the murder of 16 people in RTS. It remained unclear who in the NATO Alliance made the decision to target the media house, which was evidently not evacuated and was full of civilians; nor who made the decision, in the then government of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia, that, unlike the employees in all other state institutions, only RTS workers should not be transferred to another location.

Answers to these questions are the least we owe to the victims and their families, and the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia will continue to insist on revealing these facts.

IJAS demands that the investigation, which was illegally terminated 11 years ago, be continued regarding those who ordered the sacrifice of RTS workers on April 23, 1999. RTS General Director Dragoljub Milanović was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the serious crime of endangering safety because he did not take measures to evacuate employees and security equipment that night. There are indications that he is not the only one who knew, but only he was prosecuted. He is now free, and many questions – who sacrificed RTS journalists and why – have not been answered.

In this way, we also remind you that apart from the then General Director of RTS Dragoljub Milanović, neither the Ministry of Defense nor the Supreme Defense Council did anything to move RTS personnel and equipment, after the open threat of an attack by the NATO pact, to a reserve and safe place.

We remind you that several years ago an initiative was launched to include the names of our 16 colleagues in the database of killedjournalists of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, and we will continue to insist on this.

IJAS
April 23, 2023.

Ana-Bella Leikauff, Tihana Mojsinović, Ivana Nobilo, and Hrvoje Gunjača are the recipients of the “Velebit Degenija” awards for the best works on environmental protection published in 2022. These awards were presented for the 25th time by the Environmental Journalists Association of the Croatian Journalists’ Association, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of its founding.

Lidija Komes, the president of the Environmental Journalists branch of the CJA, mentioned that this year, they received 37 nominations with a total of 128 works in categories such as print and online media, radio, television, and photography.

Komes highlighted the quality of submissions, some of which were deemed suitable for organizing educational and scientific conferences. She also introduced Nina Domazet as the first-ever recipient of the award.

Silva Celebrini, a former president of the association, emphasized the importance of the simultaneous establishment of the association and the Velebit Degenija award, both in 1998. Celebrini acknowledged the pivotal role of Lidija Firšt, the first president of the association, followed by three other female leaders: Tanja Devčić, Silva Celebrini herself, and the current president, Lidija Komes.

Subsequently, the “Velebit Degenija” awards were presented. In the radio category, Ana-Bella Leikauff received the award for her program “Dossier Europa – Energetics of the Baltic,” broadcasted on September 27, 2022, on the First Program of Croatian Radio. This program addressed the potential solutions to the energy crisis resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.

In the print and online category, Tihana Mojsinović was awarded for her article “Jadran na buzaru” published in “Prilika,” a monthly magazine of Glas Koncila. The article elucidated the connection between human behavior and environmental conditions, particularly focusing on the Adriatic Sea.

For photography, Ivana Nobilo was recognized for her series capturing the underwater beauty and cleaning efforts at Plitvice Lakes during the SCUBA SCANNER project organized by Jutarnji List. Her work showcased the delicate underwater ecosystems and emphasized the importance of conservation efforts.

Finally, Hrvoje Gunjača was honored in the television category for his report “Autogol(f),” aired on June 2, 2022, on the show “Puls” on Croatian Television. The report shed light on the environmental impact of large-scale construction projects near Krka National Park, particularly the construction of hotels, luxury villas, and golf courses.

The ceremony concluded with the designation of the city of Krk as this year’s Green City – Friend of Velebit Degenija. Additionally, the Croatian Journalists’ Association announced a modest donation for the reconstruction of the severely damaged Music School “Fran Lhotka” in Sisak, demonstrating the humanitarian aspect of the event.