HND, SNH AND FORUM 21 SEND OPEN LETTER TO HRT

( Editorial: --> 2120 ) ZAGREB, Jan 2 (Hina) - The Croatian Journalists' Association (HND), the Trade Union of Journalists (SNH) and Forum 21, a group of journalists working in electronic media, on Friday sent an open letter to Croatian Radio and Television (HRT) management saying that "it still has not realised that a lack of arguments cannot be replaced by force and arrogance." The letter said that "Information Programme editor Obrad Kosovac verbally suspended News Programme editor Tihomir Ladisic and removed him from his work place in the middle of his shift, which was in direct violation of his (Kosovac's) powers." The sharply-worded letter drew attention to "public discontent with HRT information programmes" and "unprofessional procedures, such as tailoring of news items and keeping silent on certain events, for which the management does not give adequate explanations." The authors of the open letter said that they would "take all that is necessary to protect the integrity of HRT journalists who are professionally degraded" and that they would "inform the International Federation of Journalists and relevant European institutions about all similar cases." (hina) vm mm 022014 MET jan 98