Parliament discusses bill on electronic media

Zagreb - The parliament on Thursday discussed the government-sponsored bill on electronic media, and opposition MPs found most problematic the draft provisions on the responsibility of publishers for user-generated content on electronic publications, that is, comments under articles.

The bill, which was presented by Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek, has more transparent provisions on making public data on media ownership and financing. The minister said that the legislation would make a step forward in the protection of children and in the prevention of hate speech.

Opposition lawmakers are afraid that the provisions regulating the responsibility of publishers for user-generated content could force the publishers to shut off reader comments out of fear that they could face criminal charges for the appearance of hate speech. This could eventually, they warned, lead to censorship and limiting of the freedom of expression.

Therefore, Sandra Benčić of the Green-Left Bloc called for a more precise definition of hate speech so that insults against politicians would not amount to that offence.

The minister responded that the proposed legislation did not deal with censorship or the limiting of freedoms.

The bill introduces the obligation to award funds for the financing of media at the national and local levels via public tenders.

The bill regulates a quota of news and current affairs contents in the programme of the broadcaster on a weekly basis.

It also enhances the protection of Croatia's cultural identity through an increase in the required quota of Croatian music.

Also amended have been provisions on media pluralism, that is, fair competition. The bill regulates electronic publications more precisely.

The bill has been harmonised with the revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

Author: Hina