The first communication seminar "Church and Media" for deacons was held

The Pastoral Institute of the Archdiocese of Zagreb reports that on March 28 and 29, 2025, about thirty deacons from various parts of Croatia participated in a communication seminar on the Church and the media at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute (NPI) in Zagreb. The Croatian Bishops' Conference (HBK) organized this seminar in cooperation with professors of communication studies at the Catholic University of Croatia and the University of Zagreb.
 

The Secretary General of the Croatian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Rev. Krunoslav Novak, and the Director of the NPI, Rev. Ivan Lukić, opened the seminar, emphasizing that the intention was to hold this program primarily for deacons. The Bishops' Conference is aware of the importance of formation in this area, and therefore plans to include such a program as part of the ongoing education of priests. In today's digital age, in which information spreads quickly and the media often shapes public perception, it is important that future priests are trained in responsible and effective communication.

In the first lecture, Prof. Božo Skoko spoke about crisis communication in the Church. Rev. Novak spoke about the relationship and specificities between the media and parish pastoral care, followed by a practical workshop on television appearances. Along with specific exercises, practical advice for preparing a media appearance on television was shared with the seminar participants by Mag. comm. Matea Vidulić. In the afternoon program, Assoc. Prof. Anto Mikić introduced the deacons to the work of Catholic online portals, while Prof. Igor Kanižaj gave instructions on how to prudently cultivate your digital footprint and protect your personal and respect the privacy of others on the Internet.
 

On the second day of the seminar, Prof. Danijel Labaš presented on the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication, followed by theoretical instructions and a practical workshop on good practice in writing press releases and other texts for the media. In the afternoon part of the program, Assoc. Prof. Mikić instructed the deacons in the theory of radio communication and, in collaboration with Prof. Novak, organized a practical workshop related to radio performance. It was emphasized that a quality presence in the public space can contribute to a better understanding and promotion of Christian values, but also to strengthening trust in the Church, therefore it is necessary to improve communication skills within the formation.

The seminar concluded with a joint discussion and evaluation, with the desire and encouragement to continue such meetings in the future.