HINA to step up media coverage on Croats in Serbia

HINA Director Siniša Kovačić announced in Subotica, Serbia, that the agency will step up media coverage and reporting on Croats in Serbia, emphasising that this is a legal obligation of Croatia’s largest news agency.

“We are aware of our duty and responsibility to report on events in Croatia and abroad, especially in countries where Croats live,” Kovačić said after a meeting with the leadership of the Croatian National Council (HNV) in Subotica, a city in the Serbian province of Vojvodina.

HNV President Jasna Vojnić highlighted that the institution already has good cooperation with HINA but wants to further improve it and increase the visibility of Croats in Serbia, CE Report quotes HINA.

“Everyone knows that Croats in Serbia have many projects thanks to investments from Croatia, and our goal is to present ourselves as positively as possible,” she said.

Although the visibility of Croats in Serbia has increased, Vojnić noted that in the public sphere, hate speech coming from the highest levels of government has been normalised, is not condemned, and affects the overall perception of the Croatian and Serbian communities in both countries.

“We want to be portrayed in a positive light... And we want content that matters to us to be visible not only in Serbia, but also in Croatia and to all Croats around the world,” she added.

Representatives of the Institute for the Culture of Vojvodina Croats and the publishing house Hrvatska riječ also met with Hina's director and editor-in-chief during their visit to Subotica.

foto Lana Slivar Dominić