Slobodna Dalmacija
Encyclopedia
Slobodna Dalmacija is a Croatia
n daily newspaper
published in Split
.
The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans
in a cave on Mosor
, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various locations until Split was liberated on October 26 1944. From the following day onward, Slobodna Dalmacija has been published in Split.
Although it was originally viewed as a strictly Dalmatian regional newspaper, Slobodna Dalmacija, during the following decades, grew into one of the largest and most widely read daily newspapers of former Yugoslavia, with its circulation reaching a zenith in the late 1980s. Slobodna Dalmacija owed much of that success to its humour section. Many of the most popular Croatian humourists, like Miljenko Smoje
, Đermano Senjanović and the trio that would later found Feral Tribune
, began their careers there.
Another reason for this success was the editorial policy of Joško Kulušić, who used the decline of Communism to allow the paper to become a forum for new political ideas. In the early 1990s Slobodna Dalmacija established a reputation as the newspaper with the most politically diverse group of columnists - from the extreme left to the extreme right - and one of the few truly free media publications in Croatia, unburdened with political bias.
This state of affairs became intolerable for Franjo Tuđman and his government. In 1992, the government initiated proceedings against the paper, which would ultimately result in one of the most notorious scandals in recent Croatian history. "Slobodna Dalmacija" was privatised through the series of dubious administrative decisions, which resulted in Miroslav Kutle, a Zagreb businessman with close ties to the powerful defence minister Gojko Susak
, becoming the new owner. After a brief attempt to prevent the handover by strike, the paper was formally taken over in March 1993. Many of the paper's veteran journalists and editorial staff were fired or left voluntarily.
Miroslav Kutle
instituted an editorial policy which promoted hardline nationalism, often in an even more explicit manner than that which appeared in other state-controlled media. This new policy was especially apparent during the coverage of the conflict between Croats and Bosniaks in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina. The newspaper then saw a dramatic fall in circulation, which was due to in part to the fact that its regular readers were thoroughly disgusted by this new editorial direction. The generally poor state of the economy in war-torn Dalmatia
was also considered a factor in the decline in readership.
After the war ended in 1995, Slobodna Dalmacija was faced with serious financial problems, many of which were attributed to Miroslav Kutle's mismanagement. In late 1990s, on the brink of financial ruin, the newspaper was again taken over by the government. However, it retained its distinctively hard-line nationalist stance, even during the first year of Prime Minister Ivica Racan's left-of-center government. This hard-line stance escalated in early 2001 during the mass rallies in support of Mirko Norac
and the other Croatian generals who had been accused of war crimes. In February 2001, the Croatian government reluctantly established a new editorial staff.
In May 2005 Slobodna Dalmacija was reprivatised again. This time it was sold to Europapress Holding
.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
.
The first issue of Slobodna Dalmacija was published on June 17, 1943 by Tito's Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
in a cave on Mosor
Mosor
Mosor is a mountain range in Croatia located near the town of Split on the Adriatic coast. It belongs to Dinaric Alps, and it stretches from the pass of Klis in the northwest to the Cetina River in the southeast....
, a mountain near Split, which was occupied by the Italian army during that time. The paper was later published in various locations until Split was liberated on October 26 1944. From the following day onward, Slobodna Dalmacija has been published in Split.
Although it was originally viewed as a strictly Dalmatian regional newspaper, Slobodna Dalmacija, during the following decades, grew into one of the largest and most widely read daily newspapers of former Yugoslavia, with its circulation reaching a zenith in the late 1980s. Slobodna Dalmacija owed much of that success to its humour section. Many of the most popular Croatian humourists, like Miljenko Smoje
Miljenko Smoje
Miljenko Smoje was a Croatian writer and journalist.Smoje was born in Split in a family of poor labourers. The neighbourhood where he grew up was known for its support for anarchism, socialism and other left-wing ideologies...
, Đermano Senjanović and the trio that would later found Feral Tribune
Feral Tribune
Feral Tribune was a Croatian political weekly magazine. Based in Split, it first started as a political satire supplement in Nedjeljna Dalmacija before evolving into an independent satirical weekly paper in 1993...
, began their careers there.
Another reason for this success was the editorial policy of Joško Kulušić, who used the decline of Communism to allow the paper to become a forum for new political ideas. In the early 1990s Slobodna Dalmacija established a reputation as the newspaper with the most politically diverse group of columnists - from the extreme left to the extreme right - and one of the few truly free media publications in Croatia, unburdened with political bias.
This state of affairs became intolerable for Franjo Tuđman and his government. In 1992, the government initiated proceedings against the paper, which would ultimately result in one of the most notorious scandals in recent Croatian history. "Slobodna Dalmacija" was privatised through the series of dubious administrative decisions, which resulted in Miroslav Kutle, a Zagreb businessman with close ties to the powerful defence minister Gojko Susak
Gojko Šušak
Gojko Šušak was the Croatian Minister of Defence from 1991 to 1998. A Bosnian Croat emigreé to Canada, he entered the political life of Croat diaspora in North America, subsequently becoming a close friend and associate to Franjo Tuđman, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union, a nationalistic...
, becoming the new owner. After a brief attempt to prevent the handover by strike, the paper was formally taken over in March 1993. Many of the paper's veteran journalists and editorial staff were fired or left voluntarily.
Miroslav Kutle
Miroslav Kutle
Miroslav Kutle is a Herzegovinian Croat entrepreneur. He became notorious for his involvement in the Croatian privatization controversy and was since sentenced to jail time for embezzlement on two occasions.-Education:...
instituted an editorial policy which promoted hardline nationalism, often in an even more explicit manner than that which appeared in other state-controlled media. This new policy was especially apparent during the coverage of the conflict between Croats and Bosniaks in neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina. The newspaper then saw a dramatic fall in circulation, which was due to in part to the fact that its regular readers were thoroughly disgusted by this new editorial direction. The generally poor state of the economy in war-torn Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
was also considered a factor in the decline in readership.
After the war ended in 1995, Slobodna Dalmacija was faced with serious financial problems, many of which were attributed to Miroslav Kutle's mismanagement. In late 1990s, on the brink of financial ruin, the newspaper was again taken over by the government. However, it retained its distinctively hard-line nationalist stance, even during the first year of Prime Minister Ivica Racan's left-of-center government. This hard-line stance escalated in early 2001 during the mass rallies in support of Mirko Norac
Mirko Norac
Mirko Norac is a former general of the Croatian Army. In 2003 he became the first Croatian Army general to be found guilty of war crimes by a Croatian court after he was transferred from The Hague...
and the other Croatian generals who had been accused of war crimes. In February 2001, the Croatian government reluctantly established a new editorial staff.
In May 2005 Slobodna Dalmacija was reprivatised again. This time it was sold to Europapress Holding
Europapress holding
Europapress Holding is the leading media company in Croatia and Southeast Europe, with 5 daily newspapers and more than 30 magazines. According to Media Market Monitor, it is the largest and fastest growing private media company in Southeast Europe...
.