�Alert 07� Environmental Journalism Forum

Alert

02 April 2007

The second forum of environmental journalist �Alert 07� demonstrated that environmental journalism and systematic public information about the environment on mainstream media remains in its embryonic form in Croatia and that it would take a lot of effort for environmental journalists to become influential and strong factor in promotion of environmental protection in the media.

To be able to achieve that, concluded the Forum, they need to strengthen mutual communication and communication with business sector and state institutions on all levels. Also, they should educate the non-governmental environmental associations which are increasingly less objective and turn �inwards�.

The Forum took place in Karlovac, the city on four rivers, March 18-21, 2007. The Forum was organized by the Croatian Environmental Press Centre, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Spatial Planning and Construction, the Environmental Protection Fund and Holcim Croatia.

The Forum focused on the topic of the Law on Waste Management and its implementation, and on the increased knowledge and information of participants in order to secure more objective information to the public about waste management in Croatia.

The programme included a number of lectures and presentations, interactive discussions and training sessions designed to introduce the reporters with elements and techniques of investigative journalism implemented on environmental topics.

A total of 37 participants were present at the Forum, 20 of whome were reporters from print, broadcast and internet media in Croatia, eight experts from state institutions and nine representatives of local self-government, economy and local environmental associations.

For longer report (in Croatian) and photos from Alert 07, visit AlertOnline magazine