Allegedly, Croatian journalists feel
fierce pressure,
pressure that makes
press unsure,
as in ‘Can a story be covered
without getting a lawsuit?’
Truth can sometimes be too painful
so it must be squashed
like dropped rotten fruit.
Even the European Journalist Federation
is concerned with this situation,
while the government on the ground is sure
freedom is secured in this
proud nation.
Gotta say I have no details
to confirm the story.
I write features and soft news, not hard ones
so I’m sorry,
the few rebellious articles of mine were too minor
and outdated to got covered in the
latest sue wave,
luckily, since a good lawyer
would take me years to have money saved,
but I’m covering myself with verse as poetry isn’t going
under journalistic standards,
LICENTIA POETICA
secures peace above these bars,
in form, ensuring I don’t have to use
inverted pyramid,
or that I could slander someone when this
particular game of words has
no information or truth hid.
READ MORE
Croatian journalists stage protest against censorship, legal attacks [DW]
Croatian government responsible for unprecedented attacks on media [Total Croatia News]
Ivor Kruljac is a student of journalism in the Faculty of political sciences in Zagreb, Croatia. He wrote for various small and third sector media in Croatia. He is also active as a slam poet and writer, performing and publishing his poetry (Unified in two digital books of poems published in Croatian) and writing (sometimes publishing) short stories in his spare time.
Image of a 2016 protest in Zagreb for the freedom of the press.
