ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - The Croatian government will on Thursday discuss the final draft of a media bill, which should be discussed under urgent procedure at the first autumn session of the parliament in September.
ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - The Croatian government will on Thursday
discuss the final draft of a media bill, which should be discussed
under urgent procedure at the first autumn session of the
parliament in September. #L#
The bill adjusts freedom of the media and expression, the right to
public information and relations on the media market, as well as
other issues relevant for internal and external media autonomy,
with European standards.
Under the bill, issues related to internal media autonomy are
regulated by media statutes, which define relations between the
publisher and journalists.
This bill, as well as the existing Law on Public Information,
guarantee the right of journalists to express their stands. Under
the bill, the publisher is forbidden to reduce the journalist's
salary or relocate him/her to another position for expressing
his/her stand or refusing to participate in editing and publishing
an article which he/she considers contrary to professional rules
and ethics. In case of a legal dispute, the publisher has the burden
of providing evidence to support the case.
Media statutes would contain a so-called clause of conscience, i.e.
define the conditions and procedure under which editors and
journalists have the right to resignation and fair severance pay in
case of major changes in the medium's programme following the
change of its ownership structure.
The bill also provides for the right of the journalist to be
consulted when their editor-in-chief is relieved of duty or a new
one is appointed.
Although one of the previous drafts suggested that the editor-in-
chief be held financially liable in case false information is
published, this proposal was given up in the final draft. Under the
bill, the publisher will be held responsible for possible damages,
as is the case in the existing law.
The bill defines in detail the right to have false information
corrected, which is aimed at reducing the number of lawsuits filed
due to mental anguish caused by published insults and slanders.
Under the bill, the person who considers him/herself affected by
published information has the right to file a lawsuit, but before
addressing a court, he/she will have to request that the
information be corrected.
According to the Croatian Helsinki Committee on Human Rights, the
print media last year failed to publish as many as 900 corrections.
The bill also defines in detail the right of the public to accurate,
unbiased and timely information.
The bodies of executive, legislative and judicial authorities,
units of regional and local self-government and public
institutions and companies are bound to provide complete and timely
information on issues which are within their jurisdiction, except
in case when the information concerns a state or military secret.
In case relevant authorities deny information to a reporter, the
reporter can sue them with the Administrative Court, which is bound
to decide about the complaint under urgent procedure.
The bill also binds the media to make their ownership and other
basic business data available to the public. The holders of shares
in media companies have to be identified by name.
Publishers are bound to issue annual reports with information on
the programme, ownership structure, average circulation and
income, and viewer and listener ratings of their media.
The bill envisages the prevention of market concentration with
regard to the general information press, a regulation aimed at
preventing the monopolising of the media market.
Before making major changes in a medium's programme, the publisher
is bound to consult its editorial board.
For the first time, the bill defines press distribution.
Distributors are bound to define and make public their general
business terms. In order to prevent discrimination against
publishers, distributors are bound to distribute the press of any
publisher who accepts their business terms.
(hina) rml