"We remind that reporters' professional skills and their conscience must make up a single and inseparable whole more than in many other professions. Only then can we speak about journalism as the fourth estate, which actually does not rule anything nor does it make decisions, but controls the executive and legislative authorities and has a crucial impact on the public," according to the press release signed by HND Vice-President Zdenko Duka.
The HND emphasises, among other things, that one of the most important tasks of journalists is to defend the freedom of journalism and media from any pressure and attacks outside journalism, and that journalists themselves must abide by professional and ethical standards.
The HND also called for paying homage to the many journalists who were killed on duty all over the world as well as to Croatian journalists who were killed during the Homeland Defence War.