Media Studies is an interdisciplinary scientific journal launched in 2010 with the aim of becoming an international forum for the presentation of research and advancement of discourse concearning media, communications, journalism, and public relations, within each field’s cultural, historical, political and/or economic contexts. Journal is published every year in June and December. Previous issues are available here: https://hrcak.srce.hr/medijske-studije
Fakultet političkih znanosti, Sveučilište u Zagrebu
The author (or authors) is the copyright holder and retains publishing rights. Medijske studije journal is under the CC (Creative Commons) licence. CC BY-NC-ND
Copyright (c) 2025 Nina Krapić, Vanja Pavlov http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE: NEW EUROPEAN MEDIA AND PLATFORM POLICY: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF NEWS
Copyright (c) 2025 Tales Tomaz, Joseph Trappel http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
THE BRUSSELS EFFECT ON DIGITAL PLATFORM REGULATION: ANALYZING THE BRAZILIAN REGULATORY PROCESS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR JOURNALISM
This article compares the European Union’s digital platform regulations with Brazil’s most advanced legislative proposal, Bill No. 2630/2020, reflecting the influence of the European framework, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA). Through a documentary analysis, the article traces the history of communication regulation in Brazil, highlighting the challenges faced in advancing the issue. Comparing the Brazilian proposal to the DSA, both similarities, especially regarding platform transparency and algorithm functioning, and differences are noted, such as the inclusion of remuneration for journalistic content. The article also analyzes the “Brussels Effect”, examining how this concept applies to the Brazilian context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lizete Nobrega, Rodrigo Ratier http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
EXPLORING ETHICAL AND REGULATORY CHALLENGES OF AI INTEGRATION IN EUROPEAN UNION NEWSROOMS
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly reshaped the news media landscape in the fastevolving digital ecosystem. While recent legislative measures and industry self-regulation initiatives have emerged to address AI’s implications, the ethical challenges associated with its adoption in European Union (EU) newsrooms and the ways news media organisations navigate regulatory frameworks and internal initiatives remain underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the conditions under which AI tools are integrated into media organisations from both organisational and regulatory perspectives. Drawing on an analysis of 30 key documents and 41 in-depth interviews with media professionals and regulatory experts across three EU markets, the study uncovers key findings: a limited discourse on AI use in media organisations, significant disparities in AI implementation practices, and an absence of clear, actionable regulatory guidelines for addressing considerations in AI-driven news content.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lefevre, Errando, Afilipoaie, Ranaivoson, Wiart http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
THE EVOLUTION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP REGULATION IN CROATIA
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.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Tešić http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
DEFINING IMPARTIALITY IN EUROPEAN PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA. A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE BBC, RTÉ, AND VRT.
Amid growing criticism and political scrutiny, defining and operationalising impartiality has become essential for public service media (PSM). This research examines how impartiality is conceptualised across policy, editorial guidelines, and regulatory oversight in three Western European markets through a comparative analysis of documents from the BBC (United Kingdom), VRT (Flanders-Belgium), and RTÉ (Ireland). The article demonstrates that, first, while regulatory obligations enforce ‘impartiality’, clear definitions in policy documents are lacking; second, editorial guidelines on impartiality show that it should be perceived as a process rather than as a measurable, achievable state of journalistic performance. Finally, the article shows the increased importance of complaint mechanisms and gatekeepers addressing concerns about impartiality and its (audience) perception. Simultaneously, it demonstrates that existing assessments fall short in researching its complexity, contributing to the perception that impartiality is an achievable state of journalism that can be achieved in news reporting by journalists.
Copyright (c) 2025 Michael Pakvis, Tim Raats, Catalina Iordache http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
FACT-CHECKING AS A POLICY FOCUS IN THE EU
Fact-checking is a popular journalistic format that is widely used across the European Union to react to disinformation and other false narratives spreading both in social networks and traditional media. To foster its uptake, the European Commission has included the support of fact-checking organizations, as well as a request for the integration of their services in online platform content moderation, in a number of its policy documents. The watchdog activities of fact-checkers thereby become part of the EU’s policy focus, allowing these organizations to shape policies – albeit not without certain impediments, given that many fact-checkers rely on funding from technology companies and the European institutions. The aim of this paper is to better understand the European fact checking landscape and to identify in what ways these organizations interact with EU policymakers, the ways EU institutions and the fact-checking community may influence each other, as well as the power dynamics between fact-checkers and online platforms.
Copyright (c) 2025 Konrad Bleyer-Simon http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
MEDIA LITERACY AGAINST IDEOLOGICAL BIAS – UNEXPECTED FINDINGS OF AN EXPERIMENT
Ideally, the media should inform the public through diverse sources. However, issues arise from the tendencies observed in how citizens are informed. For example, people regularly act as motivated reasoners, seeking information that confirms their own beliefs – that is, they are often ideologically biased. One approach to address this issue is through media literacy programs, which aim to strengthen citizens’ skills in analyzing media content, thereby increasing awareness of their own biases. However, little is known about whether these programs truly have an impact. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine the effect of watching a media literacy video on ideological bias in the evaluation of a media text. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which participants were divided into groups based on whether they were exposed to media literacy content or not, and whether they read a media text about foreign workers in Croatia that was either positive or negative in tone. Based on these variables, as well as participants’ initial attitudes toward foreign workers in Croatia, we predicted the level of ideological bias in their assessment of the bias and objectivity of the media text. The study involved 216 participants, and the results unexpectedly showed that exposure to the media literacy video either had no effect on ideological bias or actually increased it.
Copyright (c) 2025 Viktorija Perkušić, Kosta Bovan http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
MEDIA PLURALISM AND GENRE DIVERSITY IN TV SERIES: CHANGES IN CROATIAN TELEVISION CULTURE FROM 2003 TO 2018
In the early 21st century, the Croatian television system changed radically, bringing major shifts in television culture. This study analyses the period from 2003 to 2018, focusing on genre diversity, audience education, and the origin of popular television series. Based on secondary statistical analysis of Nielsen ratings for adult audiences, the study examines the ten most-watched titles per season, with additional insights from a broader Top 20 list. The findings show tectonic shifts in genre distribution, cultural orientation, and the legitimation of popular series. Genre diversity has been replaced by a concentration of telenovelas. Western productions have lost their primacy; Turkish series now dominate, Eastern titles are displacing domestic ones, and popular series have become lowbrow.
Copyright (c) 2025 Vesna Karuza Podgorelec http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Marko Roško, Tanja Grmuša, Dejan Oblak http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Mato Brautović, Romana John http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
MEMES AS CULTURAL REFLECTION: A CASE STUDY OF HUMOROUS DEPICTIONS OF MARIÁN KOČNER AND THEIR SOCIETAL MEANING
This study examines how internet memes function as reflections of public opinion and digital culture. It focuses on humorous portrayals of Marián Kočner, a Slovak businessman imprisoned for financial crimes and under suspicion of orchestrating the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancée. Widely known to the Slovak public, Kočner has become a frequent subject of online satire. Using mixed-method content analysis, the research identifies key narratives and sentiments conveyed in popular memes. Drawing on classical theories of humour – superiority, relief, and incongruity – the study demonstrates how memes act as both entertainment and instruments of social commentary, emotional expression, and grassroots critique.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hedviga Tkácová, Petra Polievková http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
WHEN FACT-CHECKS GO VIRAL: A CROSS-NATIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE DISSEMINATION OF EUROPEAN FACT-CHECKERS’ CONTENT ON TWITTER
To be effective in countering misinformation, it is paramount for fact-checkers to reach a wide audience. This study investigates the dynamics leading to broader engagement with fact-checking content published on social networks. It analyzes the dissemination activity on Twitter (later rebranded as X) of a cross-national sample of European fact checkers over a span of four months. We employ Network Analysis and Natural Language Processing techniques (sentiment analysis and keyword extraction), to address four questions: 1. Are there specific tweets that attract the majority of engagement?; 2. Do these tweets draw engagement from audiences beyond their usual reach?; 3. What is the prevailing sentiment expressed in these tweets – positive, neutral, or negative?; 4. What topics are covered in these highly engaging tweets? Results show that certain tweets receive significantly higher engagement, extending beyond typical audience. Furthermore, our findings suggest that popular tweet topics are countryspecific, and negative tweets attract more interaction in most considered countries.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lorenzo Federico, Mariavittoria Masotina http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
FACT-CHECKING AUTOMATION: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO NEWSROOMS
This article explores the adoption of artificial intelligence-driven automation tools in factchecking newsrooms, focusing on their potential to enhance verification efficiency and reach. Using digital ethnography and semi-structured interviews with executives, journalists, and engineers from Duke Reporters’ Lab (USA) and Full Fact (UK), the study examines the motivations for adopting these tools, their impact on fact-checking practices, perceived benefits, user attitudes, and measurable outcomes. Findings reveal significant variations in approaches and results across newsrooms, underscoring ongoing challenges in implementing automation tools within complex workflows. This work advances understanding of automation’s role in fact-checking and offers insights for future research.
Copyright (c) 2025 Irene Larraz, Ramón Salaverría, Javier Serrano-Puche http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
UNCOVERING THE LINKS BETWEEN INTERNET USAGE, TRUST IN SCIENCE AND VACCINATION BASED ON THE CROSS-NATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY-2 WAVE 5 PANEL
Previous research to some extent evidenced the links between trust in science and vaccination, but the links between trust in science, vaccination, and Internet usage, have not been explored in depth yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the links between Internet usage, trust in science, and vaccination, based on data derived from the CROss-National Online Survey-2 (CRONOS-2) Wave 5 panel fielded in 11 European countries. The findings revealed males’ significantly higher general trust in science in comparison to females, but no significant gender differences were observed in Internet usage or trust in different disciplines or statements made by scientists. Next, vaccinated individuals demonstrated significantly higher general trust in science, higher trust in scientific disciplines, and significantly higher trust in statements made by scientists than not-vaccinated individuals. Furthermore, this study revealed some weak but statistically significant positive correlations between Internet usage and general trust in science, trust in scientific disciplines, and trust in statements made by scientists, and a negative link between Internet usage and age. General trust in science, trust in scientific disciplines, and trust in statements made by scientists’ subscales were significantly positively intercorrelated. SEM analysis revealed that Internet usage itself does not have a significant effect on vaccination, but Internet usage has a significant positive effect on trust in science, and trust in science has a significant positive effect on vaccination.
Copyright (c) 2025 Aistė Diržytė, Gintarė Gulevičiūtė, Aelita Skaržauskienė, Monika Mačiulienė, Asta Zelenkauskaitė http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Petra Kovačević, Boris Beck, Tanja Grmuša http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITIES OF MEDIA, POLITICS, AND SOCIETY IN CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH
The current issue of the Media Studies journal brings together a diverse range of scholarly works that delve into critical and contemporary topics at the intersection of media, politics, technology, and identities. Through this collection, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of how various dimensions of media consumption, political engagement, social practices, and identity formation are being reshaped in the modern era. This special issue reflects on how media practices and political dynamics intersect with everyday life, shaping public opinion, political participation, identity construction, and even humanitarian actions in a digitalized world.
Copyright (c) 2024 Marijana Grbeša Zenzerović http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
The aim of this article is to outline the aspects of information disorder that are recognised in academic and professional literature as specifically gendered, with particular attention to disinformation tactics and manipulations aimed at undermining women (in politics), as well as those whose gender identity cannot be readily categorised within the traditional gender binary. While it is true that gender disinformation is an important aspect of most orchestrated disinformation campaigns against women or people with other gender and/or sexual identities, this paper also addresses other types of information disorder such as misinformation and malinformation. Furthermore, it presents actors recognised in the literature as well as contexts that generate gender discriminatory information and media spaces, and provides several examples that illustrate the specific impact of gendered aspects of information disorder that constitute forms of gender-based violence online or offline. Finally, suggestions and insights are given on ways to prevent and deal with this form of information disorder, focusing on the role of factcheckers for gender disinformation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Brigita Miloš, Josip Šipić, Katarina Bošnjak http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
THE FOREIGN SUBSIDIES REGULATION. MORE THAN A COMPETITION TOOL FOR THE MEDIA SECTOR?
Complaints regarding the distortive and unregulated competitive effects of foreign investors sponsored through foreign state subsidies investing in Europe through mergers and acquisitions, public procurement, and greenfield projects, have led to the creation of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). Through the FSR, subsidies granted by non-EU governments can be reviewed by the European Commission. The FSR signals a more cautious, protectionist approach to foreign investments in critical sectors to which media and telecom belong to. Through a comparison of select procedural provisions, this article situates the FSR among two other ex-ante regulations, the Foreign Direct Investment Regulation, and the EU Merger Regulation, revealing its striking commonalities with the latter. Media concentration and covert foreign subsidies exceed competition related concerns to include risks to media capture and foreign interference. While focusing on addressing competition-related market distortions, the FSR plays an unexpected role in the European Media Freedom Act, which addresses the risks of financially statecontrolled ‘rogue media service providers’.
Copyright (c) 2025 Adelaida Afilipoaie http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
ERASMUS STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCE WITH INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Intercultural communicative competence (ICC) has become one of the most important competences in today’s world that is becoming increasingly intertwined at all levels and in all its segments. Within the educational system, the ICC is recognized as a key competence. In the theoretical part of the paper, ICC models are examined with the aim to identify variables that contribute to its strenghtening. Bennett’s Developmental Model served as a basis for this research. This study aims at getting insight into Erasmus students’ experiences with intercultural communication. A qualitative methodology was employed, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results show that all respondents, through the Erasmus programme experience, enhanced their knowledge, skills and awareness related to intercultural communication. Important competences identified for intercultural communication inlcude skills of efficient nonverbal communication, active listening, question-asking, participation in common activities, use of technology and humour. The results of this research show that Erasmus experience helps develop ICC skills, awareness of one’s own culture, self-confidence and life skills.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marijan Primorac, Anita Begic, Ivana Grbavac http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
GENDER SUBVERSIONS OF NON-BINARY INFLUENCERS ON INSTAGRAM
Social media is an important factor in the (de)construction of gender identities, the perpetuation of gender stereotypes, but also the representation of transgender and non-binary identities (Blanco-Ruiz & Sainz de Baranda, 2018). Non-binary is an umbrella term for dynamic and flexible gender identities and experiences. Recently, there has been an increasing number of influencers on Instagram who declare themselves as non-binary persons. The focus of the analysis is on the communication of chosen non-binary influencers on Instagram, how their use of language, styles, information structures, tones, and contexts reflect implicit or explicit ideologies, beliefs, and values regarding gender. The research findings indicate that the analyzed non-binary influencers subvert binary gender stereotypes and demonstrate an awareness of the conceptualization of the binary nature of language and context (photographs and video materials), as well as the possible interpretations of these discourses for social relationships and the improvement of the position of this subordinated group in discourse and, consequently, in social reality.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mirela Holy, Marija Geiger Zeman, Nikolina Borčić http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
WE ARE ALL JOURNALISTS: ANALYSIS OF THE RADICAL RIGHT PERCEPTION OF JOURNALISTIC PRACTICES AND NORMATIVE ROLES: THE CASE OF THE 4CHAN FORUM
The paper examines the radical right-wing understanding of journalistic practices and normative roles. After presenting the normative roles of journalism (monitorial, facilitative, radical, and collaborative), and the radical right 4chan forum (its subforum Politically Incorrect), a qualitative content analysis of /pol/ user posts is conducted. The analysis identified the presence of a negative perception of contemporary journalism practices, highlighting the belief that true journalism is dead, accusations that journalism spreads propaganda and fake news, and that it is subordinated to the interests of Jews, globalists, and capitalists, along with calls for violence against journalists. The presence of considerations on the normative role of journalism was also established, showing the greatest similarity to the monitorial and radical roles, especially regarding the provision of information and opening of twoway communication between authorities and citizens. The most important finding of the analysis is the confirmation of the existence of specific normative insights of the radical right /pol/ – emphasis on the radical vision of the citizen as a journalist, propaganda as the essence of journalism, and journalism as a battleground for narratives.
Copyright (c) 2024 Matej Mikašinović-Komšo http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
EUROPEAN POLITICAL INTEGRATION AND THE CONCEPT OF EUROPEANIZATION: FROM INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRATION TO MEDIATIZATION OF POLITICS
The article examines the genealogy of the concept of Europeanization, as one of the main concepts of the political theory of European integration, especially with regard to the institutional background of the emergence of European political integration, and the impact of the Europeanization process on the wider context of political actors in the political system: from public policies to the Europeanization of collective identities. In particular, the relationship between the concepts of Europeanization and mediatization of politics is researched in the contemporary political context, in which the role of not only the political system but also fundamental social divisions and the possibility of creating a political environment is being transformed. In this sense, it is explored how contemporary European politics is also the result of the policy of spectacle, the creation of a democracy of identities and how it was realized by the concept of an empty signifier, as a strategic identity tool.
Copyright (c) 2024 Hrvoje Špehar http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
DANGER, IMAGINED THREAT, OR CONSPIRACY? MEDIA, POLITICS, AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE RESPONSE TO IT IN CROATIA
The study explores which factors shape the attitude of citizens towards the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), their evaluation of the measures taken against the disease, and their trust in the national anti-pandemic system. To examine to what extent the social and economic position of the respondents, the attitude towards traditional divisions, the attitude towards politics and the party in power, and the attitude towards the media shape the attitude towards the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), survey data collected at the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic are used. Regression models show that age, attitudes towards the political system and elites, political awareness, and trust in the media are the factors that most shaped the public’s attitude towards COVID-19, anti-pandemic measures, and the national anti-pandemic system. Traditional cleavages and the individual’s economic position have a significantly smaller effect. At the same time, the attitude towards the party in power shaped the evaluation of measures and the attitude towards the anti-pandemic system, but not how the nature of COVID-19 was understood. Trust in the media is the variable that systematically has the most robust effect on all dependent variables in the analysis.
Copyright (c) 2024 Andrija Henjak, Bartul Vuksan-Ćusa http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN RUSSIAN AND SERBIAN INFLUENCE OPERATIONS: A CASE STUDY ON THE CROSS-BORDER SHAPING OF NARRATIVES IN THE WESTERN BALKANS
This study examines the intricacies of Russian and Serbian influence operations within the Western Balkans, focusing specifically on concerted efforts to shape narratives through media channels. Drawing on a case study of the canceled pro-Ukrainian concerts by the band Ljapis Trubeckoj in Belgrade (Serbia) and Budva (Montenegro), this study highlights the interplay of the various actors involved in the influence campaign. The campaign was orchestrated by radical and pro-Russian Serbian politicians and organized through social networks, while at the same time Russia’s state media, namely Sputnik Serbia and RT, played an important role in initiating and spreading narratives consistent with Russian interests. Moreover, these narratives also resonated with Serbian and Montenegrin media and were supported by influential Croatian and Bosnian media. By analyzing this cross-border narrative formation, this study uncovers the mechanisms Russia and Serbia use to influence public opinion in the Western Balkans and the EU. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the broader impact of Russian influence operations in the region and shed light on the complex dynamics underlying such campaigns.
THE EMERGENCE OF DIGITAL HUMANITARIAN ACTIONS: THE CASE OF ‘VRATIMO PALČIĆE U PETROVU’ FACEBOOK GROUP
The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected interpersonal relationships globally. Furthermore, in 2020, Croatia was hit by devastating earthquakes that triggered a series of humanitarian actions. This paper deals with the ‘Let’s bring the premature babies back to Petrova hospital’ Facebook group and its auctioning model. The auctions were created through cooperation of the Facebook group members and, as such, have not been described in scientific literature. The aim of this paper is to understand what the case can tell us about cooperation in the digital environment and its role in creating digital humanitarian actions. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors analyze posts published by Facebook group members and interviews conducted with organizers to explain the phenomenon of strengthening the existing connections among participants and undertaking a collective action. This case indicates that digital activism does not necessarily result in pure slacktivism. In point of fact, transparent participation of community members, along with a transparent model, can have tangible effects on society through successful humanitarian actions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mijo Bežovan, Antonio Karlović, Robert Mihaljinec http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
NEWS REPERTOIRES IN DESTABILISED EVERYDAY LIVES: A STUDY AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SLOVENIA
Traditional media consumption in the form of reading, watching or listening is being replaced by ephemeral practices such as clicking, searching and scanning, where the ‘checking circle’ has become a daily routine of constant browsing, checking and posting. In particular, these interrelated practices are constantly present among adolescents, who skilfully switch between multiple media, contexts and situations. The interdependence of such cross-media uses suggests that empirical research should focus beyond a single medium. The aim of this research was to examine news repertoires from the perspective of adolescents and highlight how biographical disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic had affected news consumption among young audiences. This article presents the results of a research project, within which focus groups on a sample of 67 adolescents aged 12–19 years were conducted. It also provides an analysis of a slightly smaller sample of 59 media sketches. The aim of the latter analysis was to identify the media preferences and potential interactions of young people. Six distinct news repertoires have been identified, which confirms the ambivalence of teenagers in terms of their media preferences. At the same time, teenagers generate their own personal ‘news media assemblies’ within their disrupted everyday lives.
Copyright (c) 2024 Tanja Oblak Črnič, Katja Koren Osljak, Dejan Jontes http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
CLICKBAIT AS BULLSHITTING: ATTITUDES OF CROATIAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS
In this paper, the views of Croatian journalists and editors on clickbait are presented on the basis of semi-structured interviews with editors and journalists of the three Croatian daily newspapers with largest circulation, which also have their own news websites – Jutarnji list, Večernji list and 24sata, that were conducted in 2023. The research showed that financial necessity and increasing the reach of online editions are the main reasons for using clickbait, while editors and journalists emphasize the attracting function of headlines, whereby its informative aspect is neglected. Journalists and editors justify this practice by saying that the sensationalist headlines cannot overshadow quality articles, but it turns out that they do not perceive the danger that clickbait headlines often lead to worthless content. Some editors and journalists still believe that bullshitting, as it can be characterized in terms of the linguistic modus operandi, may be harmful to the medium in the long term, despite the obvious immediate financial benefit. The research also pointed to the important problem of applying different standards when editing an article for the printed edition, and then using clickbait in the electronic edition, not always with the author’s approval.
Copyright (c) 2024 Stela Lechpammer, Igor Kanižaj, Boris Beck http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Filip Trbojević, Nina Krapić, Tanja Grmuša http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
INTRODUCTION: SCANDALS IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
Copyright (c) 2024 Hendrik Michael, André Haller http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0