EANA board supporting news agency HINA’s independence

To the Government of Croatia,

The Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has been made aware of a planned change of the status of news agency HINA which proposes to make it more coordinated with the Croatian public service broadcaster. We understand the Government’s need to control costs etc. but we are urging the Croatian Government to safeguard the editorial, managerial and economic independence of HINA, a respected member of the European Alliance of News Agencies. Unbiased news plays an essential role for democracy in a time of increasingly dramatic political and economic changes.

The European Alliance of News Agencies comprises news agencies in 31 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business.The news agency business constitutes the very basics of news gathering and distribution and has to be seen as the backbone of true and unbiased news reporting in a democracy. It is a business that needs a healthy environment and simple and basis rules to operate to ensure the freedom of the press and fair competition.

News agencies working in accordance with the principles of press freedom and unbiased news are of major importance to democratic society. To secure an economic and legal environment for news agencies operating in accordance with these rules is therefore one of EANA´s main concerns.

The rapid development of information technology opens up more and more platforms where there is a direct or indirect need for reliable news coverage.

This is the background to the EANA board urging the Croatian government to take these aspects into consideration when planning to make media policy changes; and to ensure that HINA in the future will have an independent role as a provider of unbiased and trustworthy news services, for both traditional and new media in Croatia and abroad.

The board of the European Alliance of News Agencies

Erik Nylén
Secretary

Clive Marshall
General President

For more information: Erik Nylen, mobile +46739865272