ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The Central Board of the Croatian Journalists' Association issued a statement on Wednesday in protest at recent statements by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Ivo Sanader about the reporting of Croatian
Radio.
ZAGREB, Nov 19 (Hina) - The Central Board of the Croatian
Journalists' Association issued a statement on Wednesday in
protest at recent statements by Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
leader Ivo Sanader about the reporting of Croatian Radio. #L#
The statement referred to Sanader's statements at an election rally
in Osijek and in an OTV programme, when he said that "Croatian Radio
can lie until November 23," when parliamentary elections are
scheduled to take place.
"Sanader thus threatened freedom of reporting and announced that
his party would directly interfere in media affairs if it came to
power," the HND said.
The HND said it regarded the threats by the leader of one of the most
influential parties in the country to a public and independent
medium as unacceptable.
HDZ spokesman Ratko Macek told Hina on Wednesday that Croatian
Radio had reported a series of untruths about his party in its
recent programmes on election activities, particularly about
attendance at HDZ election rallies.
"They were attended by between 6,000 and 12,000 people on average,
while for a few days in a row Croatian Radio reported several
hundred," Macek said.
"What the president of the party said was exclusively prompted by
this fact," the spokesman said, adding that the HDZ had always
supported full freedom of the media. "We only ask for fair reporting
by the media."
Twenty-two Croatian Radio reporters signed a protest letter and
distributed it to other media on Wednesday. They described
Sanader's statements as "unfounded and dangerous" threats that
represent a form of direct pressure on the editorial policy of
Croatian Radio and an attack on freedom of the media.
(hina) vm sb