Communication Sciences Professors Participated in the “30th Annual International Conference on Information Technology and Journalism”

Faculty members from the Department of Communication Sciences, Prof. Dr. Igor Kanižaj, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Davor Trbušić, and Hana Kilijan, MA in Communication, took part in the 30th Annual International Conference on Information Technology and Journalism held in Dubrovnik from Monday, 15 September to Wednesday, 17 September 2025, organized by the Institute for New Media and e-Democracy.
 

Professor Kanižaj and teaching assistant Kilijan presented on the topic “How is AI changing journalism – the usage of OSINT in Croatian newsrooms.” Focusing on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) tools and their application in fact-checking within journalism, they presented findings from a study on the use, perception, and evaluation of OSINT tools in Croatian newsrooms. Among other things, the research showed that editors and journalists recognize the potential of OSINT tools but use only a small selection of those available. This was the first study conducted on OSINT usage in Croatian newsrooms and provides insight into practices and perspectives on the use of such tools in journalistic work.
 

Assoc. Prof. Trbušić, together with Dr. Stela Lechpammer, Senior Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb, presented on “Two Faces of the Same Coin: Analyzing Journalists’ and PR Professionals’ Perspectives on the Ethics of Press Trips.” They shared results of research analyzing the ethical challenges of press trips in media relations. Preliminary findings indicate that PR professionals view press trips as a valuable educational tool and an opportunity for journalists to meet company leadership, while journalists highlight that such experiences help them gain a deeper understanding of topics, all while maintaining professional freedom and editorial independence.