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In a recent interview with Diplomacy & Commerce<\/a>, Kre\u0161imir Macan<\/a>, a renowned Croatian communication and political advisor, shared his insights on crisis communication and the evolving political landscape in Croatia. Macan emphasized the importance of taking initiative and controlling the narrative during crises, a strategy that can help mitigate damage and maintain public trust.<\/p>\n What do elections look like from a communication perspective? What kind of messages are being sent and do they have effect?<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been shown that the sovereignist and populist approach \u00e0 la Trump by President Milanovi\u0107 is acceptable to the majority of citizens, and that such discourse today fares better than any traditional one. I hope he will continue with the conciliatory tone from the election night, and that over the next five years we won\u2019t witness another \u201chard cohabitation\u201d between President Milanovi\u0107 and Prime Minister Plenkovi\u0107. Unfortunately, in both the world and Croatia, elements of conspiracy theories and even fake news are entering the mainstream, and this is a trend we will clearly struggle to deal with, especially after the changes in the US.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Politicians often struggle to adapt to modern digital platforms like TikTok or Facebook, which are essential for reaching younger audiences. Traditional media still holds significant influence but faces challenges from social networks and declining editorial standards. Macan argued that media outlets should focus on verified news rather than competing with rapid social media updates.<\/p>\n How and in what way can we influence content and reduce the spread of fake news and similar content, which is often unverified and inauthentic?<\/p>\n \u201cThe million-dollar question. With the recent removal of fact-checkers on Meta platforms, we risk not having anyone to verify the truthfulness of claims made in posts on social media. I believe it\u2019s an illusion that the community will be able to handle this on its own, as one side is always louder, and that\u2019s usually the far-right. That\u2019s why the role of traditional media is crucial; they must be a barrier to unverified and false news. This is a major challenge that we all must work on.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n