THE EVOLUTION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP REGULATION IN CROATIA

Abstract

This paper aims to describe the evolution of media ownership regulation in Croatia with the aim of assessing whether these developments have supported the promotion of media pluralism. This research is underpinned by the premise that transparency in media ownership – one of the key prerequisites for media pluralism (Borges & Christophorou, 2024), remains insufficiently achieved. The paper shows that Croatia has come a long way from a quite restrictive approach in regulating media ownership, both in terms of openness of the media market and media ownership transparency, to the situation as it stands today. However, certain gaps in the media ownership regulation still exist, particularly in relation to the enforcement mechanisms and the allocation of clear institutional responsibilities for monitoring and sanctioning non-compliance.