ZAGREB, April 22, 2020 - Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek has said that a set of measures has been adopted in light of the current difficult situation in the media sector, and that media outlets and registered freelance reporters and artists were eligible for benefits offered by the employment service.
"The Electronic Media Council has made decisions on payments from the fund, agreement has been reached with the Music Copyright Society (ZAMP) regarding certain omissions connected with copyright royalties, and we have been in talks with Transmitters and Communications Ltd. on making certain concessions to commercial media," the minister said in an interview with Nova TV on Tuesday evening.
She said that she would meet with journalists' representatives Hrvoje Zovko and Maja Sever on Wednesday. "We have to be realistic and aware that the economic situation is serious and that unfortunately cuts will have to be made in many areas," she said.
"We appreciate the role of the media, we know how important they are, notably in the current situation, when they contribute to the fight against fake news, which is why we are turning to credible sources and serious mainstream media and we will do what we can with the measures to be taken next."
Obuljen Koržinek said that talks were under way on how to gradually start relaxing restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus epidemic but that in the field of culture, it was difficult to estimate how and when those restrictions would be lifted.
As for the project Rijeka - The European Capital of Culture 2020, the minister said that it was not a failed project, that she had discussed a number of scenarios with the mayor of Rijeka and the project manager and that decisions regarding the project would be made in line with government decisions to make sure at least some of its programme was implemented.
"It will not be possible to implement it in its current scope but culture must go on, both in good and in bad times, and the current situation is difficult, especially for performing arts," she said.
More media news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
