September the 5th, 2024 – Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar has been on the receiving end of threats which are being taken very seriously. Some of them involve kidnap.
As Morski reports, boaters from Krilo Jesenice have become so riled up by Morski.hr’s articles that, unable to deny any of the information in a single piece of news published with any actual arguments, they have engaged a leading PR agency to try to make themselves look better in the eyes of the public.
It appears that it’s no problem for these clearly very angry individuals to fork out a massive 100,000 euros for said engagement, which they claim the services of said leading PR agency cost. In the business world, none of this would be a particular issue, but there are several things here that ring some seriously loud alarm bells.
dirty politics?
At the meeting between the angry boaters and the leading PR agency in question, (which was recorded) the PR agency mentioned having acquaintances high up in politics. In particular, two government ministers were mentioned, through whom said PR agency intends to influence things in order to stop the negative public treatment of the shipowners by Morski.hr and Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar.
Morski.hr focuses on all things maritime and coastal, and is known for constantly warning its readers of illegalities and crime taking place along the coast and within the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea.
threats to kidnap Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar and journalists
As if this wasn’t enough, the infuriated boaters didn’t stop there. They took things to a WhatsApp group, where they posted a recording of the meeting (as mentioned above) to the other participants who weren’t physically at the meeting. It was on that group that a very serious initiative came to be which involved ideas about kidnapping Morski.hr journalists, a move for which some even appear ready to pay.
According to documents obtained by Morski.hr, the Croatian Association of Private Shipowners, under the leadership of Arsen Ercegović, engaged a leading PR agency in their plans. They held a meeting with said agency, about which they informed the other members of the association using a document.
The document highlights the cost of cooperation, as well as the fact that they are particularly bothered by the Morski.hr portal, which exposed a series of catastrophically illegal actions committed by them. Here it is transmitted and translated into English:
One thousand euros per ship
Dear ship owners,
According to the conclusions of the shipowners’ meeting (the minutes of which you’ve already received) held on August the 17th, 2024 in Split, the Association found a lawyer, who is an expert in maritime law, and engaged one of the best PR agencies in Croatia.
We’re attaching a recording of the conversation between the representative of the Association and the PR agency, and the offer we received from that agency. The association has also contacted another well-known PR expert, who is also ready to cooperate, so a detailed interview will be held with that agency and their offer will also be requested.
The contract with the PR agency has been signed for one year and the total amount reaches 100,000 euros. The Association alone cannot cover it from its own funds obtained from membership fees. At the aforementioned meeting, it was announced that the funds for this purpose will be collected separately.
In view of all the above, the Board of Directors of the Association headed by the President of the Association has decided to send this invitation to all shipowners to pay 1,000 euros per ship (the payment form is attached) within the next seven days. If a sufficient amount is collected, the Association will sign the contract with the PR agency. Otherwise, the association will return the money to those who paid.
So, dear colleagues, it’s all up to you. You’re all witnesses to the constant negative texts being published about us in various media outlets, especially by Morski.hr. In accordance with that negative image, the other stakeholders we meet in our business, such as representatives of various institutions and the general public, treat us in the same way. Finally, the time has come to say enough is enough and start a kind of media offensive to show everyone how important we are to society and to the country, and to confirm the reputation and position we deserve with our dedicated work.
We have a brand that is unique in Europe and in the world that we have created ourselves, and it’s time that we are recognised and appropriately valued, and not belittled all the time. We won’t manage to achieve this if we continue to remain silent about all the injustices that are being inflicted on us.
That’s why it is extremely important that we all unite at this moment and collect the necessary funds to hire a lawyer and a PR agency who will fight for our rights and represent us in all fields. If you have any suggestions or remarks, feel free to contact the Association.
Yours Sincerely,
President of the Association, Arsen Ercegović
The disgruntled boaters plan to pay the media for better ratings, and there are multiple concerning factors to take note of. In the recording of the meeting, terms such as carrot and stick are used, and this refers both to the influence on the writing published by the portal and the freedom of journalism in general through money and acquaintances, as well as to the employees of the Port Authority, and in general the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, which implements laws and regulations related to navigation safety.
Moreover, the boaters want to achieve their plan of disparaging everything written by Morski.hr and raising their rating as soon as possible. For this purpose, the Croatian PR agency wants to squeeze as much money as possible out of them, proposing a lump sum payment and long-term cooperation. As a guarantee, the PR agency mentions their acquaintances with Branko Bačić and the newly “crowned” Minister of Tourism, Tonči Glavina.
“I’m good with him,” the PR agency representative in question stressed when referring to the latter at the meeting, and several times.
the issue of media freedom and journalist safety in croatia
Anyone who follows the issue of so-called “media freedom” will know the issues that unfortunately go hand in hand with journalism, particularly investigative journalism. It likely won’t be very surprising to anyone that there are tremendous issues when it comes to the safety of Croatian investigative journalists and publications, with threats of violence not being entirely uncommon.
who is morski.hr?
Morski.hr is a Croatian news website with a primary focus on all things to do with the coast and the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea (as the name might give away if you speak Croatian). As you’ll have read above, these threats refer to the entire website and those who work for it, but have been more precisely aimed at Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar, who works very diligently to confront the many issues which plague the Croatian coast, from illegal construction to numerous beach and environmental issues.
The disgusting threats, which even involve kidnap, against Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar, have caught the attention of the Media Freedom EU platform in Brussels. The body has publicly condemned the threats and those who have issued them. They’re also seeking a proper investigation.
serious threats against Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar
Unfortunately, some of the involved boaters are that angry about their “image” being portrayed poorly that they are seriously calling for the kidnapping of Morski.hr editor-in-chief Jurica Gašpar, for which they also suggested collecting money.
“Cesarica has paid and is suggesting that we all fork out another 100 euros each, for someone to put that idiot from Morski.hr in their boot. It’s time for someone to deal with him, so that this [writing disparaging texts about these boaters] won’t even cross his mind anymore. Thank you,” one of them also posted to the Brodari na Jadran WhatsApp group, after which it was learned that as many as a dozen participants in this chat agreed with this vile initiative.
One of the messages said the following: “He should be taken by ferry to Brač and then left naked on Vidova Gora,”
All of the participants in this foul chat have been reported for making these threats, as have the organisers who encouraged them to do so. The case has been forwarded to both the police and to the State Attorney’s Office, which is currently conducting an active investigation.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t even the first time the boaters from this particular location and association have threatened Morski in the absence of any actual arguments. Last year, a similar attempt was made by the then so-called “head of shipbuilders at HGK” Ante Rakuljić, when he stated: “Don’t write about our ships and Krilo Jesenice, we’ll destroy your job and everything!”.
An inquiry has also been about the whole case to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, as well as to the two ministers, Branko Bačić and Tonči Glavina, who the representative of the PR agency in question claimed “to be good with”. Their statements are expected soon.
