Zagreb, December 19, 2000 (IKA) — The Catholic Press Agency — IKA-Zagreb Web Page on the Internet was presented yesterday, December 18, at the Tribine Building in Zagreb. Introductory greetings were extended by Archbishop Josip Bozanić of Zagreb, president of the Croatian Conference of Bishops. The archbishop pointed out that the media in our homeland is often burdened by a negativistic approach and that people are needed who will work to promote dialogue, understanding and community. The task of both the Church and secular media is to strive for truth. Dr. Stjepan Malović, a professor of journalism at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, spoke about IKA as an agency that correctly and professionally presents the Catholic point of view without sensationalism, scandal or rancor. “IKA has become an equal on the media scene due to its professionalism. It has developed a specific style which successfully combines the Catholic point of view with the professional standards of contemporary journalism,” said Dr. Malović. The history of IKA was presented by the deputy editor-in-chief and president of the Croatian Society of Catholic Journalists, Suzana Vrhovski. She explained that the agency was established seven years ago with the goal of gathering news about the life of the Catholic Church, primarily from the territory of the Croatian Conference of Bishops and also the Church among the Croats in other countries and throughout the world. IKA engages approximately forty correspondents in Croatia and neighboring countries, and news about the life of the Church in the world is collected in cooperation with other Catholic agencies, especially those from neighboring countries. As soon as IKA was founded, it immediately joined the network of Catholic agencies and was accepted in the Federation of Catholic News Agencies, within the International Catholic Press Union. IKA also enjoys exceptionally successful cooperation with Radio Vatican. The editor-in-chief and head of IKA, Don Ante Šuljić, spoke about the web pages and Pio Trdić spoke on behalf of the team that had prepared them. IKA news is available on the website www.ika.hr, which includes the daily service, announcements, a very rich data base and weekly bulletins, as well as links to important Catholic web sites.