ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights (HHO), Zarko Puhovski, said on Wednesday that the situation in the media and political life in the country ahead of parliamentary elections was
normal according to European standards.
ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Helsinki
Committee for Human Rights (HHO), Zarko Puhovski, said on Wednesday
that the situation in the media and political life in the country
ahead of parliamentary elections was normal according to European
standards. #L#
Puhovski said his assessment was based on the results of monitoring
the media three weeks before the official start of the election
campaign, which has revealed no cases of unfair political
statements, incorrect media reporting, or hate speak.
Puhovski was speaking at a press conference organised by the HHO to
present the results of the media monitoring campaign called "Media
and Elections in 2003", which is being conducted with the financial
support of the OSCE mission in Croatia.
The HHO monitored news reports on the activities of the government,
parliament and political parties carried by leading electronic and
print media from October 12 to November 1.
Ruling coalition parties were given more space in the media, but
there were no substantial differences in reporting by the public
Croatian Television (HTV) network and the commercial Nova TV.
HTV broadcast more reports about the main opposition party, the
Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), while Nova TV devoted more airtime
to the leading party of the governing coalition, the Social
Democratic Party (SDP).
Similar results were obtained by analysing 692 reports by two radio
stations, Croatian Radio and Obiteljski (Family) Radio. The two
radio networks, however, devoted more attention in their reports to
the activities of the government than parties.
Of 3,900 press articles on the government, parliament and parties,
only 16 per cent dealt with parliamentary elections.
Puhovski said that reporting before the official start of the
election campaign was comparatively balanced and that there was no
reason for exerting pressure on the media, especially on
television, or announcing purges after the polls.
OSCE mission chief Peter Semneby expressed full support to the HHO
media monitoring project, announcing his organisation would issue
a a report on the results of election monitoring that would also
include the behaviour of the media.
(hina) vm sb