Wishing them success in their future work, Mesic told reporters that the only criterion in their work should be professionalism and the right of the public to get information.
He said that credit should go to the media for shedding light on several political scandals that shook Croatia last year.
"You have the right and obligation to tell the truth, and the public has the right to get accurate information," Mesic said.
He also told reporters that one of their more important tasks in the future would be to cover topics relevant for Croatia's bid to enter the European Union, adding that the country had done much in the past 12 months to achieve this goal.
"Be the conscience of society and help with its initiatives. You should also struggle to regain confidence of the public in your profession, just as politicians should," the president said.
The head of the Croatian Journalists' Society (HND), Dragutin Lucic, said that in the recent years the media succeeded in freeing itself from the iron grip of politics and now journalists should promote their commitment to professional ethics.
Through their membership and active engagement in international associations, the HND and the Croatian Journalists' Trade Union have helped Croatia in its bid to join European integration processes, Lucic said.
He added that Croatian reporters would lobby in cooperation with the European Journalists' Federation for the start of Croatian EU membership talks on 17 March as planned.