The lies of the market sellers and Vitoslav Türk's illegal construction are "the most genuine proofs of great society anomalies".

The TV Slovenija journalist Eugenija Carl a few months ago disclosed the illegal construction owned by the brother of the previous president of the republic, an SDS Party member, and onetime head of Eles Vitoslav Türk. In an attention-grabbing piece she disclosed Türk's illegal construction of a huge villa on a plot where only subsidiary farm buildings were allowed.

The other story which characterised Eugenia as an inquiring journalist was the report from the Trieste market, in which she exposed the coastal market sellers of "ecological" fruit and vegetables, all of which came from the same place in the neighbourhood: the Trieste vegetable market.

She earned the award of the Slovene Association of Journalists, and the nomination for the Slovenian Woman of the Year by revealing these stories – and many others during more than twenty years of her work as a journalist.

It is journalists' duty to warn
"The public opinion really matters to me," admitted Eugenija during the MMC web chat. "The role of journalists is, or should be, to watch closely the lawbreakers of all kind. A journalist should act as a society guardian. I consider that a professional rule."

She followed this rule also when reporting on the fruit and vegetable market, and on illegal constructions. "These two stories are the most genuine proof of great social anomalies, they prove that all who should have reacted failed – inspections, ministries, those whose salaries come from the public funds. They hadn't reacted, and it is the duty of journalists to call attention to that."

There are also dark sides to that kind of work, as journalists often receive threats. Eugenija has for example received threats by phone, and has often heard that "no good could come out of that", her car was scratched...

"Yet more than of such things I am worried, on behalf of all journalists, of the pressure the journalists are subjected to by the centres of political and economic power. These come in many forms, from lawsuits to denunciations to professional institutions, letters to editors, directors, false information with the intent of personal discrediting of the journalist … I already have personal experience with such things, and they keep happening. Those journalists who dare scratch beneath the surface quite often pay a high price," she says.

No comment on Popovič's words
The mayor of Koper Boris Popovič often publicly, in front of other journalists, expresses his opinion of her, her work, and her personal life. But Eugenija pays no attention to that: "I have no comment on the mayor's words, as I don't intend to stoop to his level, and I do not concern myself with him. Mr Popovič would probably like to stop me from reporting about him, but of course that won't happen. I am quite surprised, however, that in all these years he hasn't learned to distinguish between a public employee, and a public functionary. He has to appear in front of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, while I don't have to justify my new coat to anyone … I have a loving mother too, and now and then, when I really wish for something, she buys if for me."