What is behind Plenkovic's secret meeting with the editors-in-chief of the media?
On March 17, government representatives led by Prime Minister Andrei Plenkovic held a secret meeting with editors-in-chief of print media and national television and radio to discuss how the media should monitor the coronavirus epidemic.
The meeting was organized personally by Prime Minister Plenkovic.
Plenkovic explained to the editors how to write, and the Minister of Culture promised the assistance of the state
In addition to his ministers and their ministers, Prime Minister Plenkovic gave the editors-in-chief how to report in times of crisis and emphasized that the goal of the media should be to avoid panic by promoting the work of the government, which, as they repeatedly emphasized at that meeting, "all bring the necessary measures in time "and have" sufficient capacity to cope with the crisis ".
The thesis that Croatia had taken all the necessary measures in time appeared on the front page of the Vecernji List just days after the meeting of the editors-in-chief of the media with Plenkovic.
As we learn, Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Korzinek at one point at a meeting gathered to the editors-in-chief of the media, promised the help of the state if their income from advertisers began to fall.
The government has been refusing to give minutes of the meeting for two weeks, not even wanting to say who was there
Even two weeks after the meeting was held by the government, they do not want to give a record of that meeting, nor do they want to tell anyone who was at that meeting. We requested information through a press query, and after the deafness, we also requested information through the right of access to information. But Plenkovic's government does not want to make it public. Neither the Telegram's colleagues nor the Croatian Journalists 'Association nor the Croatian Journalists' Union received information about the meeting.
The government initially tried to appease us by claiming that they did not want to call portals at the meeting, justifying that they wanted to avoid the mass events, because of the recommendations of epidemiologist and minister Vili Beroš. However, this cannot be true, as there were about twenty people present at the meeting, and even then, there was a recommendation to avoid gathering more than five people. The meeting thus remained wrapped in a veil of secrecy, probably due to the fact that shortly after the meeting, some state monopolists began to advertise themselves in the media, in the headlines promoting the "Stay Home" action.
But let's start in sequence.
The meeting was organized personally by Plenkovic
As we wrote in the introduction, a secret meeting between the government and the editors-in-chief of the media was held on March 17, organized personally by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
"Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic organized on Tuesday, March 17th, a meeting with the editors-in-chief of broadcasters, print media and radio broadcasters in Croatia on activities undertaken to combat the coronavirus epidemic, as well as on shared responsibility in combating fake news and timely and accurate information to the public on all circumstances of the epidemic, "the government confirmed to us, not wanting to give more information about the meeting.
Most of the meeting was very general, except for the part when it came to monitoring press conferences. Although the meeting discussed the protection and work of journalists in the field, who will accompany the press conferences, it did not include representatives of the HND or the Journalists' Union, nor were they provided with details of the meeting, which somewhat speaks to the true purpose of the meeting.
Maric explained to the editors-in-chief of the media that there should be no panic
The Minister of Finance Zdravko Maric also gave a speech at the meeting, emphasizing to editors that there should be no panic among citizens so as not to invade banks. Apart from Plenkovic's controversial instructions on how to edit the media in times of crisis, probably the most controversial part concerns the speech of Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek.
In her meeting, the Minister of Culture mentioned the crisis of 2008, the fall in media revenues due to fewer ads, and in this context, the possible assistance of the state to the media who would find themselves in a similar situation due to the coronavirus epidemic. After that meeting, another government meeting was held, this time with selected PRs to implement ideas on the government's ability to work in times of crisis. There is no official mention of this meeting either.
As soon as we found out about the meeting of Plenkovic and the editors-in-chief of the media, we asked the government for information on the criteria by which the media whose editors-in-chief were invited to the meeting were selected. We were told unofficially that there was no room for the others because they wanted to avoid the mass events due to the coronavirus epidemic. When we learned that there were about twenty participants in the meeting, it became clear that this could not be true.
The minutes and participants of the meeting became secret
We immediately asked the government and the Ministry of Culture, through a press query, for full information on the meeting. We were interested in the criterion by which media representatives were invited to the meeting, as well as a comment on the fact that the Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Korzhinek said at that meeting that in case the media would drop ad revenue, the state would help in order not to repeat the situation from the the 2008 crisis, and that she announced she would speak with media owners. We were interested in how the state intended to help the media, why it was not publicly presented in measures to save the economy, and what media it intended to help.
For days, the Ministry of Culture refused to answer the inquiry or provide any information. We contacted our colleagues from the Telegram, the HND and the Journalists' Union and asked them if they had information from the meeting, and after they had asked almost the same questions from the Ministers of Culture, we received a response in the form of a statement.
The answer does not mention the meeting in any part, but justifies why journalists are not covered by the government's crisis response. Only one section mentions the section from our query.
There was a mention of a decline in media advertising
"The Ministry of Culture warns that the media industry is particularly exposed to the crisis because it depends almost entirely on advertising revenues. In this context, the situation will be monitored and additional ways of supporting this sector will be sought, taking into account that a large number of journalists are self-employed or in some a form of temporary or casual engagement, "reads one part of the Ministry of Culture's response. The same statement emphasized that "the Government of the Republic of Croatia will monitor the situation in the media field and consider introducing additional measures to protect the media, not only commercial but also not-for-profit."
When it comes to declining advertising revenue, the state can only compensate for this loss by advertising public and state-owned companies in the media, so it becomes clearer why the government does not provide more details from the secret meeting.
Ministries have organized conferences together with the media in recent years
Recall, some media have sponsored various ministries in recent years by organizing thematic conferences, but clearly this does not help at the time of the pandemic.
Let us remind you that two years ago the Ministry of Regional Development hired Vecernji List for PR, that is, to design a campaign worth HRK 3.7 million. Vecernji List was responsible for the visual identity of the campaign and for organizing professional forums and workshops, going to fairs, promotional activities in various cities in Croatia, ensuring media coverage and media coverage of activities.
Also, last fall, the Homeland Security and Crisis Management Conference was organized by Jutarnji List and the Ministry of Defense. This year also saw the Energy 2020 Green New Deal conference for Croatia organized by Jutarnji List, attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Coric, Minister of State Property Mario Banozic, Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Marko Pavic and the Minister of Administration Ivan Malenica.
We asked the government, through a press query and then through the Right of Access to Information, to provide us with a minutes of the government meeting and a list of participants. We got this instead of the answer
It was because of this suspicion and because of the negative experiences of the HDZ government, Ivo Sanader, in the Fimi media affair that we continued to insist on replies. We asked the government, based on the right of access to information, to give us minutes of that meeting and to indicate who was present at the meeting and on what principle they were invited.
They refused.
After the meeting, ads of state and public monopolists in the media started
"Crisis measures for the media sector were not the topic of the meeting," read a government response acknowledging that Plenkovic personally organized the meeting with journalists. We complained that important information was still being denied to us, but the government was firmly determined not to share the minutes of the meeting with the press and the public, or to treat it as a secret.
Also, a strong campaign was launched in the print media and national televisions declaring the Minister of Health, William Beros, a hero and "My friend William", the decisions of the Staff were announced without any critical tone, and the basic idea was to shift the blame to the citizens . The message was simple: the government made everything, but it is the citizens who are disobedient and unpopular measures must be taken.
After Plenkovic's meeting with the editors-in-chief, the media was flooded with articles about "my friend Vili"
It is not possible to say with certainty whether the agreement on state aid to the media has already come to life, but the fact is that a few days after the meeting, advertisements of state and public monopolists (such as Fine and Zagreb Holding, which have no competition) were won on the portals of some print media. they don't need ads, especially in times of crisis) in headlines that promote staying home at the time of a coronavirus pandemic.
Fina: We wanted to promote the e-signature with the ads
Thus, Fina, who bases her monopolistic position on regulations that give her a unique privileged status like no other organization or company in Croatia, has a unique explanation as to why she sponsors the #ostanidoma campaign in one daily newspaper. They tell us it's about promoting their e-signature.
"Fina has opted in to encourage citizens to use digital services and channels (such as Fina's digital e-signature certificate in the cloud) to avoid unnecessary exits and arrivals at Fina's offices and other institutions, due to the current situation caused by the emergence of coronaviruses ( COVID-19), "they tell us from Fine.
In Fina, they claim that they have not yet received any guidance from the competent authorities, neither on advertising, nor on preparing for the economic crisis.
"We are actively working on the reprioritization of costs, since it is certain that the current circumstances caused by the coronavirus will lead to a fall in revenues. The priorities in the future will certainly be to preserve the health of Finna's workers and citizens of the Republic of Croatia, to ensure the continuity of Fine's business operations and to carry out the necessary business processes. without interruption, supporting the Government of the Republic of Croatia in the implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures and maintaining the liquidity of Fine, "Fina tells us in the end.
And Ina, a state-owned firm, is sponsoring the #ostanidoma campaign in the media
The oil company Ina, a state-owned company, is also a sponsor of one such campaign that promotes people's behavior during the Crown epidemic. However, as they tell us, they have reduced their advertising activities, and this is a campaign that started earlier.
"The planned campaigns have been delayed until the situation is calm. Currently, we only have a few media projects that we have started or contracted before. We have adapted the content to the situation and are aimed at our employees and customers, that is, we strive to promote good practices and stories of our employees from the field, with emphasis on respecting and implementing all preventative measures, "the response we received from INA reads. They tell us unofficially that there was no instruction.
We also sent a question to Zagreb Holding, another sponsor of the #ostanidoma action in the media, but they did not respond. The answer will be posted when and if we get one.
Telegram Editor: We were not invited, it could hardly be a mistake
But if everything was transparent and there was no talk of helping the media promote the government's capability at the time of the coronavirus epidemic, the question is why the government is silent. The meeting was official, it was organized by the Prime Minister on government premises and the existence of minutes should not be a problem.
"The organizers cannot speculate on the real intentions of the organizers, it may be a bizarre coincidence, so the Index and Telegram representatives were mistakenly dropped from the list invited to the crisis meeting. , says Jelena Valentic, editor-in-chief of the Telegram portal, who was not invited to the meeting and was denied information.
"And at that crisis meeting about the coronavirus with the media, after all, Milan Kujundzic would sit instead of Vili Beroš if we had not published a research special about his real estate just two months ago, which resulted in the dismissal. But regardless of calling or not inviting our representatives to meeting, the Telegram feels a responsibility solely to the readers, and we will monitor the work of this and every future government objectively and professionally, "Jelena Valentic points out at the end.
The Croatian Journalists' Association also failed to get full information about the meeting, while HND President Hrvoje Zovko said that no professional organization was invited to the meeting, and expressed his concern with this selective approach and the secrecy of Plenkovic's meeting with the editors-in-chief of the media.
Zovko: HND is concerned
"It is unclear what was the criteria by which the meeting was called. If the prime minister needed to meet with media representatives, why did he not meet with everyone, including the HND, the only professional organization in Croatia? We are aware that the coronavirus crisis will leave far-reaching consequences for the media, and therefore for journalists, and that is why we are concerned. The HND also had proposals for measures that could be mitigated, at least in the short term, but unfortunately the government ignored them. It would certainly be good if they were invited to the meeting. and representatives of some of the most influential portals left out on this occasion. And I would also like to mention that the HND with SNH is involved in all EFJ actions, educations and recommendations on how to monitor the crisis professionally and how to report ethically and objectively, "Zovko said for Index.
The Croatian Journalists' Union has also been left out, with the union's leader Maja Sever pointing out that the government's decisions are made without expertise and that they have proposed certain measures to protect journalists in the field.
North: Measures and Decisions without a Profession
"The role of journalists is extremely important in these situations. Accurate, verified information can save lives today. In this crisis, journalists are also exposed every day in the field to citizens to find out the correct information. And as a union we have proposed measures to Every day we call for solidarity and responsibility in the crisis, I think it is fair to show solidarity with us when some measures and decisions are made.For the beginning, perhaps by including representatives of all media and organizations in the talks , which obviously did not happen. I have already been informed from two media outlets that a pay cut has been announced. We are all aware that we will have to bear the brunt of the crisis, but let's be transparent and jointly assisting and involving everyone who will be affected, "says SNH chief Maya North at the end.
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