Uloga urednika u odabiru i prezentaciji sadržaja – osobitosti uređivanja internetskih portala
Authors:   , Pavić Marko 
Published: February 2025

The Internet has become the primary mass medium providing news (Hanson, 2019) and serves as the main information source for many people globally. The advancement of information technology and the shift to online editions have significantly transformed journalism and the methods of news selection (Heinderyckx & Vos, 2016). Since success is often measured by clicks (Fürst, 2020), editors compete for the highest possible number of visitors to their portals. This approach can lead to negative consequences such as sensationalism, clickbait, and the publication of articles lacking informational value. In Croatia, approximately 2.8 million people visit domestic internet portals monthly (Gemius, 2024), highlighting the critical role of editors in informing citizens through their selection and distribution of news. The primary objective of this dissertation is to investigate the methods and principles guiding the editors of the seven Croatian portals included in the research (Večernji.hr, Jutarnji.hr, 24sata.hr, Index, Dnevnik, Net, and Danas) in their content selection and presentation. Specific goals include understanding the criteria for front-page article placement, the use of analytics in daily editorial work, and the impact of traffic measurement tools on content decisions. This work contributes to a better understanding of Croatian online journalism and provides insights into the work of editors and the quality of content on the most visited portals. Limitations include the number of interviewees; however, the results offer a depiction of editorial practices on the relevant portals. For this doctoral dissertation, two studies were conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods. The first study analyzes the content of the seven portals to examine the characteristics of articles placed on the front pages. The second method involves semi-structured interviews with the editors of the seven portals, revealing the nature of editorial work and the principles and standards applied in article selection and publication. The content analysis showed that the researched portals attract audiences with nonpolitical topics, non-original content, and limited multimedia features. Topics are often covered superficially, and most articles are unsigned with the author's full name. Additionally, 35.1% of the titles were found to be clickbait. Semi-structured interviews with the editors revealed that they prioritize achieving the best possible portal traffic, relying more on traffic measurement tools than professional standards. Editors continuously monitor numbers and adjust the front page based on results. Articles with unsatisfactory results are moved to less prominent positions or removed entirely and replaced by new articles. Editors constantly balance between traffic measurement tools and journalistic standards. All respondents indicated that the main news on the front page is reserved for relevant topics, while other positions are determined by traffic metrics and editorial decisions. Entertainment-related content often takes precedence due to its potential for high traffic, while serious articles receive good placement if they are important and socially relevant at that moment. The interviews indicated that in Croatia, the audience's preferences are respected. Although professional journalistic standards have not been completely abandoned, traffic measurement tools and the pursuit of profit significantly influence topic selection and information presentation. Editors aim to maximize traffic, prioritizing the articles that capture the audience’s interest on front pages, leading to an erosion of journalism and editors who recognize the problem but do little to change it. This dissertation attempts to illuminate a topic that has been under-researched in Croatia: the role of editors on internet portals and the selection and presentation of information. The profound changes in Croatian journalism underscore the need to uphold professional standards to avoid the trivialization and degradation of journalism, thereby preserving integrity in a challenging digital environment.