Croatia's Minister of Culture and Media, Nina Obuljen-Korzinek, signed a strategic document, the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, during a meeting with the British Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton, in Zagreb on Monday, the Ministry of Culture and Media said in a statement carried by state agency Hina.

Morton said that the British government was committed to protecting media freedom and empowering professional journalism, and that the two countries shared the same goal of promoting media freedom. She highlighted the problem of misinformation, which has escalated in the present time of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that it was necessary to strengthen professional journalism and the professional media.

Obuljen-Korzinek said that Croatia was continually working on improving its legislative framework and was participating in the work of EU bodies and other organisations such as the Council of Europe and UNESCO. She noted that the government ensured the legislative framework for the operation of the media and was in no way interfering in their work.

“We are aware of the fact that it is hard for media outlets to operate and secure funding for their unimpeded work on a small market such as Croatia,” Obuljen-Korzinek said, adding that local and regional media outlets can obtain funding from the Fund for the Promotion of Pluralism and Diversity of Electronic Media, and that funds have been ensured to promote quality journalism.

She said that Croatia was continually promoting media literacy as one of the key competencies in fighting misinformation. She added that some of the EU funds intended for recovery and resilience would go towards developing a single database on media ownership and financing and establishing a fact checking system.

Obuljen-Korzinek said that the new media legislation would encourage a system of self-regulation and co-regulation and introduce instruments of regulation and financing to foster professional journalism and trust in the media.

Among those attending the meeting was British Ambassador Andrew Dalgleish.