N1 is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has developed into a media outlet that reports on all important events in Croatia, the region and worldwide, without exception. While we know what our programme looks like on viewers' screens, Tihomir Ladisic and reporter Vanja Kranic took the opportunity to talk to Nina Kljenak about what goes on behind the scenes of the morning show "Novi dan" ("New Day").

Vanja Kranic delivered the first story on N1 from Zagreb.

“It was an intense and exciting time. We were accommodated in the Journalists’ Home in Zagreb; we didn’t know each other very well and it was pretty intense. We had everything — from moments of collective laughter to frustrating moments that are typical for every beginning,” Kranic said.

“Ten years ago it wasn’t technically easy to be live all the time, but today it’s much easier. You just need a rucksack and you’re live. A lot has changed, especially after the COVID-19 crisis,” Kranic added.

The first real 24-hour news channel in Croatia

Tihomir Ladisic says it’s been 10 years of history. “I would like to congratulate everyone who worked on this project. These ten years truly represent ten years of history. A lot has changed, especially in terms of technology and production, but we have remained true to our journalism. What we set out to do from the beginning was a challenge.

We took steps that nobody had taken before us. We created the first real 24-hour news channel in Croatia. We faced many technical challenges and, of course, programming issues. Is this country strong enough, brave enough and confident enough to produce a big, engaging programme that can be compared to the big news channels we grew up with, such as CNN, Sky and BBC?

So we tried to create a real news channel in Croatia. When I look back now, after ten years, I see history. These few recordings show how full those ten years were and how much we really covered the story. We followed everything live, and that is one of the greatest values of a television station,” said Ladisic.

How has journalism changed in these 10 years?

“There have always been theories about the fate of journalism, such as the predicted death of print media, which never happened because a good article will always have value. Television, of course, is facing the challenges of social media and populism. I think journalism and television are gaining a new dimension and a new value as a result. Yes, you can find out everything on social media, but it lacks the context, the people who are willing to research, provide the background to the story and involve all the players to explain the reasons and background to all these events. That’s what gives our work its new value.

There’s a lot to do before it goes on air and it has to be done quickly, so it’s a challenge, but we do our best and I think we often succeed

News and sport do not lose their power on the screen

Of course, we are faced with the reality that many people no longer watch as much TV as they used to, but I believe that news and sport will never lose their power on the TV screen. A Champions League game or a breaking news story, and in recent years we’ve seen news that felt like films, from wars to pandemics to domestic politics — all of it now feels like a kind of reality show that needs the right context. I believe that our dedicated journalists have the strength, motivation and courage to ask the most important questions, get answers and live this job every day. I am happy and proud of this team that really lives this work and brings news, reports and life stories to N1 every day,” said Ladisic.

One of the challenges we face today is fake news.

These ten years truly represent ten years of history. A lot has changed, especially in terms of technology and production, but we have remained true to our journalism

Kranic says this is a consequence of everything mentioned earlier. “It’s a challenge, of course, because behind every story we journalists still follow the same process to present information objectively and accurately. Yes, there’s a lot to do before it goes on air and it has to be done quickly, so it’s a challenge, but we do our best and I think we often succeed,” Kranic said.

We took steps that nobody had taken before us. We created the first real 24-hour news channel in Croatia

“What I admire most are the people who make this programme possible. From those who sit in the control room now and are not seen, to our valuable camera people, without whom there would be none of this incredible footage of firefighting aircraft, fires, floods — everything we have covered. They are all people who have sacrificed their time and even their lives to bring these stories to our screens. I will never forget the faces of everyone who works at N1, because I believe that we have created a newsroom, a team that has lived through these ten years, that has faced the same problems that we all face in life, and yet perseveres to do its job,” Ladisic concluded.