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First, the economic dimension. According to all relevant indicators, including the MPM results, the greatest risks to media freedom and pluralism in Croatia are found in the area of market pluralism. Put simply, regulation of the media market does not produce the expected effects in the public sphere. In economic terms, such a situation can be interpreted as market failure. This necessarily calls for well-designed and active public policies. Media and journalism cannot be treated merely as a creative industry dependent on project-based funding and unstable market revenues, but primarily as a public interest and a public good. At the same time, empirical data clearly show that large online platforms predominantly control the digital advertising market, with direct and harmful consequences for the economic sustainability of professional media. In such an environment, the race for advertising revenue often takes place at the expense of quality, fact-checking, and professional journalistic standards. The current draft law on the implementation of the EMFA should be expanded to include clearer regulation of the dominant position of platforms in the media market and, in particular, to further elaborate the media pluralism test as a tool in assessing media ownership concentration that also takes into account elements of editorial independence. 

Second, the political dimension. Structural economic problems cannot be addressed without strong, independent regulatory bodies and media outlets that are not primarily dependent on market mechanisms. Of particular importance is the existence of a public media service that enjoys both de facto and de iure a privileged social position, enabling it to represent the interests of the public independently of commercial and political pressures. Within the existing institutional framework, key regulatory and governing bodies—both in the case of the Agency for Electronic Media and within the public service broadcaster HRT—are to a large extent shaped through political appointment processes. In the preparation of the law on the implementation of the EMFA, discussion of possible alternative models for selecting these bodies was absent. The prevailing view within a large part of the professional community is that the existing models do not ensure a sufficient level of independence and that it is necessary to involve professional associations, civil society, and the academic community more strongly. 

Third, the socio-organisational dimension. Economic and political factors have very concrete consequences for the internal organisational culture of media organisations and their resilience to external pressures. It is precisely here that perhaps the most significant potential of the European Media Freedom Act lies: strengthening genuine editorial independence. In the Republic of Croatia, this area of regulation is extremely weak and largely declarative. Existing mechanisms, such as the so-called Media Statutes, are insufficient and rarely applied in practice. The system of self-regulation is fragmented, and various studies show that journalists identify advertisers as one of the main sources of external pressure, report commercial and political interventions in editorial decisions, and note that investigative journalists—especially at the local level—are exposed to campaigns of harassment and intimidation. These problems should not be viewed as isolated incidents, but as outcomes of structural economic and political relations. For this very reason, they should form an integral part of the so-called media pluralism test, particularly in procedures for assessing ownership concentration. 

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More information about the book is available at this link: https://brill.com/display/title/64825

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The report analyses the role of digital infrastructure in the socio-economic development of the European Union and the Republic of Croatia, in the context of digital sovereignty, the energy transition, and institutional capacities. It is based on the premise that digital infrastructure is a necessary but not sufficient condition for development, and that its effects depend on states’ ability to translate infrastructure investments into broader social and economic benefits. At the EU level, the report highlights the intense concentration of data centres and cloud capacity among a small number of global providers, alongside ongoing efforts by the European Commission to promote decentralisation, energy efficiency, and strengthen European digital sovereignty through the Digital Decade policy framework. The empirical part of the report is based on a cluster analysis of EU Member States, which reveals significant differences in infrastructural coverage, institutional quality, and the level of digital “spillover” effects.

The results confirm that countries with developed institutions, advanced digital skills, and active industrial policies achieve higher social and economic returns from digital infrastructure. Croatia is among the countries with below-average spillovers, indicating limited capacity to translate infrastructure investments into development outcomes. In the national context, the report provides a detailed analysis of the legislative framework, the structure of public and private data centres, and the sector’s economic dynamics, characterised by revenue growth amid intense pressures from energy costs. For Croatia, an integrated development approach is crucial, one that links digital and energy policy, strengthens state capacities, fosters advanced digital skills, and ensures systematic monitoring of the social and economic impacts of digital infrastructure.

intermediate STUDIJA_v08

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Speakers included Sweta Pudasaini, Nepali translator and cook with many years of experience navigating precarity across different labor regimes; Nader Wahech, platform worker and organizer of the Re-WOLT initiative, which brings together delivery workers in the struggle for labor rights and dignity at work; and Semih Adigüzel, student and platform worker who shared first-hand accounts of precarious and insecure working conditions in the digital economy.

The audience also learned about the project DEVELOPER – Digital Data, Infrastructures, and Development, implemented by the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), as well as Building the City Together, a project by the Multimedia Institute (MaMa) that connects migrant platform delivery workers and the local community through the innovative use of QR codes in public space. The Transnational Solidarities series is facilitated by Emina Bužinkić and Lucija Mulalić.

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A PUBLIC COMPETITION

for the associate position of assistant in the scientific field of social sciences, area of sociology in the Department of Culture and Communications, Centre for Sociology of Media and Digital Society – 1 position (m/f).

The employment contract is concluded for a fixed term of five years for work on the Croatian Science Foundation’s DEVELOPER project (IP‐2022‐10‐2780). With a person who has already been employed in the position of assistant, the employment can only be established for the remaining time of up to a maximum of 5 years.

Gendered terms used in this announcement are neutral and apply equally to both male and female applicants.

Requirements:

• • meeting the requirements prescribed by Article 39, paragraph 6 of the Higher Education and Scientific Activity Act (Official Gazette 119/22);
  • completed university graduate studies in the field of social sciences, area of sociology with a total of 300 ECTS credits;
  • additional criteria prescribed by the Ordinance on additional criteria for the selection of assistants, appointment of mentors and assessment of the work of associates and mentors Class: 007-02/23-01/06, Reg. No.: 251-768-08-23-1 of 27 December 2023, which is available at https://irmo.hr/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pravilnik-o-dodatnim-kriterijima-za-izbor-asistenata-imenovanu-mentora-i-ocjeni-rada-suradnika-i-mentora.pdf;
  • overall grade point average at previous levels of study that ensures enrollment in a doctoral study programme in the requested scientific field and area or enrollment in a doctoral study program in the requested scientific area;
  • excellent knowledge of Croatian and English in speech and writing.

Applicants are required to submit:

• • application for the competition, which includes the applicant’s data (name and surname, address, telephone or mobile phone number, contact e-mail address) and the position for which they are applying;
  • CV with a description of their previous work;
  • proof of the required level of education (copy of diploma, etc.);
  • proof of meeting the additional criteria prescribed by the Ordinance on additional criteria for the selection of assistants, appointment of mentors and evaluation of the work of associates and mentors Class: 007-02/23-01/06, Reg. No.: 251-768-08-23-1 of 27 December 2023;
  • proof of English language proficiency (certificates, certificates, copy of indexes, published works in a foreign language, etc.);
  • transcript of grades for candidates who have not enrolled in doctoral study programme or proof of enrollment in a doctoral studies programme in the requested scientific area and field;
  • electronic record or confirmation with employment data recorded in the database of the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute;
  • an applicant who has already been employed as an assistant is obliged to submit copies of previous employment contracts for the position of assistant or a confirmation from the employer/employers stating the period in which the candidate performed the duties of an assistant.

The employer may conduct testing of applicants who meet the formal requirements of the competition. Applicants will be informed about the dates and method of any testing via the email address provided in their application.

Interest in qualitative-interpretive methods and critical paradigm in sociological and social theory will be especially evaluated at the structured interview.

Persons of both sexes may apply for the competition on an equal basis.

Applications with evidence must be submitted within 30 days of the publication of the vacancy in the Official Gazette in electronic form, in one single document in PDF format, sent to the e-mail address: natjecaj@irmo.hr with a subject line of ” Application for assistant position in the Department of Culture and Communications”.

The processing of the applicant’s personal data is necessary for the application process. The data will be kept as long as necessary in accordance with the legal obligations of the Institute as the controller.

Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.

The selected applicant is required to present originals or certified copies of academic education documents prior to signing the Employment Contract.

Applicants will be notified of the results of the competition within the legal deadline via the Institute’s website (https://irmo.hr/natjecaji/) and will not be notified individually. By publishing the Notice of Selection or Cancellation of the Competition on the Institute’s website, it is considered that all applicants have been notified of the results of the competition.

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From 6 to 11 July 2025, the 5th Forum of the International Sociological Association (ISA), titled Knowing Justice in the Anthropocene, was held at Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco. IRMO researchers Dr Emina Bužinkić and Dr Paško Bilić presented their work at the event.

Emina Bužinkić presented two papers: “Storying Social Distancing with SWANA Refugee Youth” and “Anti-Muslim Racism at the European Periphery: Race in the Balkans”. The research and conference participation were supported by the ENDURE project of the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ).

Paško Bilić, in co-authorship with Iva Nenadić (European University Institute) and Antonija Petričušić (Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb), presented a paper titled “Unveiling the Digital Policy Pathways in the EU: A Compass without True North?”. The paper is based on research conducted within the framework of the DEVELOPER project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ).

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https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/479866

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