Human Rights Ombudsman dr. Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik has expressed her concern about the latest developments at some of Slovenia's media outlets, which "may pose a threat to the role of media and journalists as guaranteed by the Constitution and legislation".
Media freedom is not only in the public's interest, but also in the interest of the authorities, which can use it in the long run to achieve legitimacy and success, Čebašek-Travnik said in a press release on Wednesday.

Media and journalists play the role of the watchdogs of democracy, freedom and human rights in democratic societies. If authorities are not under the scrutiny of independent media, abuse of authority, corruption and violation of rights of individuals become more likely, the ombudsman said.

It is therefore important that media and journalists can work autonomously and without fear of retribution.

According to ombudsman dr. Čebašek-Travnik, a particularly dangerous situation arises when the state can exert this kind of pressure through its direct or indirect ownership of individual media outlets.