NEW JOURNALISTS' SOCIETY TO BE ESTABLISHED IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - The snuffing of the freedom of the media and journalists' work in Croatia are the chief reasons for the founding of a new journalists' society -- the Society of Croatian Journalists (DHN)-- the organisation's initiative committee told reporters Thursday. Committee chairman Domagoj Margetic described the work of the existing Croatian Journalists' Society (HND) as bad, stressing the HND has always been close to political power. Croatian journalists are being politically manipulated, political power centres are manipulating journalists, and controlling and censoring the media, and the HND does not have the courage nor the power to face the accumulated problems in the profession, DHN founders claim. Assessing that the non-payment of freelance journalists was the biggest problem, the DHN founders expect free lancers will make up for the biggest part of their membership, because the society's priority tasks are salary and wage payments, and the protection of the social status of journalists. Margetic said he expects the DHN to become member of the International Journalists' Federation. DHN Initiative Committee executive secretary Mario Cuzic announced the society's founding assembly will take place in the next two weeks, and according to the interest journalists have voiced, the membership is expected to be abundant. (hina) lml