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Gojka Bezovan's (2005) definition of Company Social Responsibility (CSR) is quoted, & Scott M. Cutlip's et al (2000) research of CSR in the US is briefly discussed, pointing out the importance of positive social image in conducting business activities & noting the billions of dollars spent on CSR in that country. The crucial role played by mass media in communicating businesses' CSR to the public is recognized, & Croatian print media are surveyed to determine how much attention & space they devote to CSR. A study by the firm MediaNet is summarized, examining, in a quantitative analysis, the number of newspaper articles devoted to CSR & reporting on the distribution of CSR actions across various domains of public interest (eg, the development of human resources, environmental protection, charitable donations, etcetera). It is found that CSR is not one of the dominant themes for Croatian newspaper editors & journalists, as editorials & news features on CSR represent only a negligible portion of journalistic texts. It is concluded that Croatian journalists are eager to emulate their Western colleagues in all the vices the profession is accused of -- sensationalism, fact distortion, & disregard of personal privacy -- but not in the virtues of serving the public good. Figures, References. Z. Dubiel

The author analyzes the deterioration of the professional standards in journalism both globally & nationally (in Croatia) in relation to the problem of the freedom of the media. It seems there is a vicious circle at work here: journalists often commit blunders & these mistakes are then used by the parties in power -- as well as by the media owners, often in collusion with these parties -- to restrict the freedom of the media. The author argues that due to the power wielded by the media today, their ownership should be transparent. Besides, the relations between the journalists & the media owners should be properly regulated, which might result in more responsible journalism. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author analyzes the deterioration of the professional standards in journalism both globally & nationally (in Croatia) in relation to the problem of the freedom of the media. It seems there is a vicious circle at work here: journalists often commit blunders & these mistakes are then used by the parties in power -- as well as by the media owners, often in collusion with these parties -- to restrict the freedom of the media. The author argues that due to the power wielded by the media today, their ownership should be transparent. Besides, the relations between the journalists & the media owners should be properly regulated, which might result in more responsible journalism. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.

The author analyzes the position of journalists at the time of elections. It turns out that they are subject to pressures by politicians, who try to use the media for their promotion. Electoral reporting is extremely & precisely regulated; it would be hard to find some other field of journalism with such clearly elaborated recommendations & rules. Nevertheless, journalists are exposed to various methods of manipulation & pressures. Legal provisions are necessary, but it is also vital to understand the laws of the journalistic profession & the media. Also important is advertising or hidden advertising. The author concludes that reporting about elections could be professionalized primarily by decreasing the influence of political parties on the media, strengthening the institutions of civil society, & permanently educating journalists. 15 References. Adapted from the source document.

The Kosovo crisis once again brought the powerful, unscrupulous, & destructive Milosevic media apparatus into the spotlight. This is nothing new or surprising for all those who have been covering his political ascent from the beginning, but this time he used his heaviest artillery, never mincing words nor flinching from using all possible means to achieve his ends: to justify the genocidal policy & rally Serbs once again around the well-known platform of national unity & the Greater Serbia rhetoric. On one side, he had a well-oiled media machine that mercilessly rolled over everything in its way, not respecting any basic journalistic principles, not to mention ethics. On the other side were the most powerful media in the world -- aggressive, assertive, & equipped with state-of-the-art technology, but with one major flaw: these are mass media, not propaganda machinery. Two completely different structures clashed head-on. Thus, the media in war turned into the war of the media, a totally unfair war between a small but powerful propaganda machine & the large but democratic media. 8 References. Adapted from the source document.

Mass media today are an unavoidable part of life of contemporary civilization. Central to the information system of the mass media are journalists as the key "producers" of information. Their working methods have changed under pressure from state-of-the-art technological advances that have facilitated the functioning of the mass media. In the 1960s, journalists began their careers with a notepad and pencil, & they are going to retire by using PCs, satellite communication, digital cameras, & electronic databases. With time, journalists have become educated experts who continually broaden their knowledge & professional training. That is why permanent in-service training is a must for their future since educated journalists are the most effective barrier to manipulations. A Croatian survey has shown that Croatian journalists are very interested in permanent education. 6 Charts, 6 References. Adapted from the source document.

Croatian newspapers (dailies, magazines, & a few journals) were studied over several months in 1997. While the review was not comprehensive, the analysis reveals a picture of the typical newspaper as very prone to error. The errors that result from haste, hard working conditions, & obsolete technology are excusable, but the flagrant carelessness & even ignorance show disrespect for readers & the profession. Journalism is advancing fast, but there are certain well-known basics that can be easily learned. There is no excuse for ignorance-based errors, as there is no justification for a surgeon who would -- due to ignorance -- amputate a healthy instead of a diseased leg. But, what to say about the intentional, deliberate distortion of facts? It is unforgivable not to inform the public about the opinions of the president or the Governor of the National Bank or to give the true dimensions of a crime. This is the dark side of Croatian journalism, which may be rectified by educated professionals who respect the rules of the profession & whose primary concerns are not ideological connotations & drifts. Adapted from the source document.