ZAGREB ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - Authorities must not always expect good news because they have to know that journalists are interested in controversy and must always be ready to provide answers, a former US State Department spokesman
James Rubin told Croatian reporters in Zagreb on Friday. Rubin, who was State Department spokesman during two mandates of President Clinton's administration, today works as a lecturer at the prestigious London School of Economics. He paid a two-day visit to Zagreb, which ended with a lecture on relations between the government and the media at Zagreb's Journalists' House today. Prior to his meeting with Croatian journalists, Rubin met with Croatian government members and held another lecture for spokespersons from Croatian ministries. The government should not always expect good news; controversy is interesting and journalists live for controversy, Rubin said trying to point, in an in
ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - Authorities must not always expect good
news because they have to know that journalists are interested in
controversy and must always be ready to provide answers, a former US
State Department spokesman James Rubin told Croatian reporters in
Zagreb on Friday.
Rubin, who was State Department spokesman during two mandates of
President Clinton's administration, today works as a lecturer at
the prestigious London School of Economics. He paid a two-day visit
to Zagreb, which ended with a lecture on relations between the
government and the media at Zagreb's Journalists' House today.
Prior to his meeting with Croatian journalists, Rubin met with
Croatian government members and held another lecture for
spokespersons from Croatian ministries.
The government should not always expect good news; controversy is
interesting and journalists live for controversy, Rubin said
trying to point, in an informal way, to critical points in the
communication between authority and journalists.
Every politician holding a public office should be aware of the
importance of communication with journalists and dedicate 25
percent of his time in a working week to the media. If he is unable to
do it, he should find someone whom he trusts and who is competent
enough to do it in his stead - this is how spokespersons are made,
Rubin said.
Croatian ministers are aware of this, however, only on a
theoretical level, Rubin said, adding this would have to change.
As regards journalists, they must act responsibly in what they do,
not toward the authorities but toward their readers. They must
correct mistakes, no matter how insignificant they may seem because
that is a matter of respect for the profession, Rubin said.
The situation in Croatia as regards relations between the media and
the authorities is actually normal, he said, adding that before his
meeting with government members journalists had complained that
the authorities were not considering them important, while at his
meeting with the ministers he realised that they attached too much
importance to the media and overestimated their possible influence
on events.
Such a relationship, where you demand more respect and they are
afraid of you, is completely normal for any democratic society,
Rubin told reporters.
(hina) rml