Marija Jurić Zagorka was the first female journalist in Croatia. At a time when she was reporting on laws of great importance to Croatian citizens being passed in the Parliament in Budapest, there was only one other female political journalist in all of Europe, and she was in London. Zagorka’s era was difficult, but giving up was never an option for her. Writing, publishing, and educating the public was her calling, while dealing with pressure from male superiors, the entire patriarchal society, and an often unprepared audience was a burden that came with it.
Is it much different today?
Journalism remains predominantly a women’s profession. And women in Croatia continue to do it bravely and brilliantly, despite all the pressures, for an audience that is increasingly openly hostile and aggressive if the facts do not fit its own “truth.”
Reflecting on the growing pressures, stress, and the harsh reality in which young female journalists are finding it increasingly difficult to thrive in newsrooms, the Croatian Journalists’ Union, with the support of the Embassy of the United Kingdom, is launching the project Zagorka Connects.
The project aims to establish a mentoring network that will connect junior and senior female journalists — young women eager to learn and advance, and experienced journalists willing to generously and purposefully share their knowledge. We want to encourage, inspire, empower, and sometimes listen to our colleagues, whether they’re facing challenges in their first newsroom job or seeking support for freelancing after losing employment.
All the mentors in this project will be recipients of Croatia’s highest journalism award, named after Marija Jurić Zagorka, and some of our gatherings will take place in the memorial apartment of Zagorka at Dolac in Zagreb.
Our participants will also have the opportunity to learn in cooperation with one of the UK’s leading organisations, Women in Journalism UK, whose mentoring program annually supports 100 female journalists at different stages of their careers.
A call for mentors and mentees will be announced soon. For all updates, follow us on the Croatian Journalists’ Union website and social media channels.
We look forward to connecting and sharing journalistic knowledge and skills!