CROATIAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION HOLDS ANNUAL CONVENTION

PETRCANE, Nov 22 (Hina) - The promotion of professional ethics and the adoption of a new law on Croatian Radio and Television are the most important tasks of Croatian journalists, Croatian Journalists Association (HND) president Dragutin Lucic said at the association's 42nd annual conference in Petrcane near Zadar on Friday. #L# Commending the HND's efforts with regard to social, legal and international issues, Lucic said the HND had achieved the least with regard to professional ethics. Opposing the theory that courts will make some media go bankrupt, Lucic said a lack of professionalism, the violation of laws, human rights and professional ethics had to be punished severely and that the media which did not abide by professional and ethical criteria should go bankrupt. The convention supported Lucic's stands, as well as reports by HND bodies and a union request that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications fulfil its legal obligation and make the ownership structure of all media public, which the Ministry refused to do. The convention resumed with a debate on the association's statute, code of honour and other documents. (hina) rml