In attendance were representatives of journalists, journalists' associations, the journalists' union, publishers, and media experts. They underlined that the Council's fundamental purpose was the advancement of credibility, quality and reputation of public media and notably their primary task to serve public interest.
The Council would protect journalists in searching for the truth and aspire to a fast, simple, widely accessible and fair settlement of disputes on the accountability of journalists or editorial boards before a professional body, the Declaration reads.
It was assessed the most appropriate model would be a tripartite council with representatives of journalists, publishers and the public. Every occupational, publishing or nongovernmental organisation could join the initiative by respecting the voluntary principle.
It is fundamental to provide for the Croatian Media Council's independence from state authorities and protection from commercial or any other individual interests, reads the Declaration.
The Council's most important tasks would be to adopt a code of ethics, interpret professional and ethical standards, settle complaints by mediating between the damaged party and the appropriate editorial board, or by evaluating the board's professional and ethical accountability, and if necessary pass penalties, but only or a moral nature. In case of graver penalties, the punished editorial board would be obliged to publish the penalty in its medium.
The Council would be funded by partners and other sources but without influence on its professional and ethical judgements. The Council's initiators expect significant funds the government, claiming the Council encourages the public's influence on the media.
The initiators are the Croatian Journalists Association, the Croatian Association of Press Publishers, the Croatian Radio and Press Association, and the Media Council of the Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights.
The HND will address the initiative at its annual convention in three weeks. Relevant bodies of media publishers will soon decide about being the second main partner in the establishment of the Croatian Media Council.
The sponsor of the Opatija conference was the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation.