Professors of the Catholic University of Croatia Participate in Discussion on the Implementation of the European Media Freedom Act

A roundtable discussion on the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) was held at the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia. The event was jointly organized by the Media Literacy Center of the Catholic University of Croatia, the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia, the Agency for Electronic Media, and the Croatian Catholic Journalists’ Association. The gathering brought together representatives of academia, regulatory bodies, and media organizations to discuss the challenges and opportunities arising from the new European legislation.

The roundtable was opened by Zrinka Ujević, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Croatia, and Prof. Danijel Labaš, PhD, Head of the University Department of Communication Studies at the Catholic University of Croatia, who highlighted the importance of the European Media Freedom Act for the Croatian media system.

Among the participants was Assistant Professor Suzana Peran, PhD, President of the Croatian Catholic Journalists’ Association and a faculty member of the University Department of Communication Studies at CUC. She welcomed the adoption of the Act implementing the EMFA and emphasized the importance of involving journalists in public discussions on the new legislative framework.

‘Laws are one thing, but we are all aware that implementation is another. It is precisely at the implementation level that I believe journalists and editors need to be better acquainted with the legislative framework,’ Peran stated.

She added that the provisions of the EMFA bring a number of positive developments for journalists, particularly in strengthening editorial independence and reducing political and economic pressures.

Speaking about the challenges of implementing the new rules, she stressed that their success would ultimately depend on how they are applied in everyday media practice.

‘We can say that the EMFA is an excellent tool, but the key issue is implementation at the lower levels.’

The discussion covered topics such as editorial independence, the protection of journalistic sources, transparency of media ownership, the independence of public service media, and the challenges posed by the development of artificial intelligence and digital platforms. Participants agreed that the European Media Freedom Act represents an important step toward strengthening media freedom and professional journalism, while its true value will depend on consistent implementation within national legislation and media practice.

The roundtable was moderated by Prof. Igor Kanižaj, PhD, Head of the Media Literacy Center at the Catholic University of Croatia, once again confirming the University’s active role in promoting media literacy and contributing to professional and socially relevant discussions on the future of the media.