The pendulum model of Croatian media policy: Digitalisation between public interests and market competition

• Published in: European journal of communication (London) Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 503 - 518
• Main Authors: Bilic, Pasko, Svob-Dokic, Nada
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2016; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Croatia; Digital broadcasting; EU membership; Internet; Public service advertising; Public television; Digital video broadcasting – terrestrial; media policy; European Union accession; Internet; public broadcasting service
• ISSN: 0267-3231; 1460-3705
• DOI: 10.1177/0267323116659976

Croatia internalised the European normative requirements in its legislative system and restructured the media system in the process of the European Union accession completed in 2013. The media restructuration had a double social role: self-adaptation to the new communicative possibilities, both democratic and technological, and assignment of new social roles to actors mediating new values through the rapidly growing production of information and communication and thus influencing the differentiation of the public sphere. This article takes a socio-cultural and socio-historical approach to the development of media policies in Croatia, particularly with regard to recent changes of digitalisation of television broadcasting and online content production. It shows how this complex process led to missed opportunities for the strengthening of the public service broadcaster in the digital sphere. Additionally, it provides analytical explanations to this long-term restructuration process.