Northfocus (formerly Northwire, and historically The Pulma Press) is a major multimedia news organization based in Bistrica, District IV.
It serves as the primary media voice for the northern districts of the Divine Republic of Kresimiria (Severnivaraje, Viskogorje, and Zahodecelska). Historically associated with the regionalist movement and the Iric political dynasty, Northfocus provides the main editorial counter-narrative to the state-sanctioned, capital-centric reporting of the Kresimirian Herald.
While it operates bureaus across the Republic, its readership and viewership are heavily concentrated in the north. It is known for its investigative reporting on environmental degradation by SeverMin and Maj Holdings, and for its early adoption of digital streaming technologies.
Northfocus exists in a state of constant regulatory conflict with the Council for Education. Since the Council controls all broadcasting licenses, Northfocus has historically relied on print and digital distribution to bypass the state monopoly. The Council frequently retaliates by using KresCom to throttle traffic to Northfocus domains or by denying “Press Accreditation” to its journalists.
History
The Pulma Press (1940s–1997)
The organization traces its roots to the “Pamphlet Era” of the 1940s in the university city of Pulma. Affiliates of the Bistrice People’s Party (BPP) began printing informal newsletters to coordinate community outreach and advocate for northern autonomy against the centralist policies of Chancellor Kresimir Kresimirovic II.
In 1964, following the merger of the BPP into Northern Power, these disparate publications were consolidated into The Pulma Press. For three decades, it operated as a small-circulation weekly broadsheet, focusing on agricultural prices, forestry union news, and academic essays from the University of Pulma.
The Free North Dispatch (1997–2002)
In the late 1990s, the political climate in the north shifted. The environmental damage caused by industrial mining and the 1998 Cetingrad Steelworks Incident radicalized the local population. In 1997, the paper rebranded as The Free North Dispatch.
The organization has served as a launchpad for major talent, most notably Rijad Turk. Before becoming the favored photographer of the Sinj elite, Turk cut his teeth as a conflict photographer for Northwire (Northfocus’s predecessor), documenting the environmental struggles of the northern districts.
Under this banner, the publication adopted an aggressive, crusading style. It became the preferred platform for the rising lawyer and activist Syv Iric, publishing his legal briefs against SeverMin as front-page news.
Northwire and the Digital Era (2002–2018)
Coinciding with Syv Iric’s election to the Assembly and his assumption of the Northern Power leadership in 2002, the organization underwent a massive modernization. Rebranding as Northwire, it established the first independent news website in the Republic outside of the capital.
In 2003, Northwire launched NW-TV, an online-only video service distributed via the early Kresinet. This was a revolutionary move that allowed it to bypass the TRK terrestrial broadcast monopoly. While its servers in Bistrica frequently faced “technical inspections” by the Council for Education, the service survived and became the primary news source for the northern youth.
Northfocus (2018–Present)
In 2018, the company rebranded once more to Northfocus. The name change reflected a shift from breaking news wires to in-depth documentary and analysis. Today, it operates out of “The Glass Mill” in Bistrica, with active satellite offices in Pulma, Lipovljana, Dvor, and Cetingrad.
The organization achieved its greatest journalistic coup during the 2018 Bistrica Water Protests. Using drone technology to bypass a police cordon and state media blackout, Northfocus live-streamed the environmental disaster to the nation. This act of digital defiance provoked a massive cyber-attack from the CIA but established Northfocus as the most trusted news source in the northern districts.
Editorial Stance and Rivalry
Northfocus defines itself as the “Conscience of the Periphery.” Its editorial line is explicitly:
- Regionalist: Advocating for the devolution of power from Sinj to the District Chambers.
- Environmentalist: Highly critical of the Council for Development and extractive industries.
- Socialist-Leaning: Supporting trade unions and cooperative economics.
It maintains a bitter rivalry with the Kresimirian Herald. While the Herald prides itself on access to the Chancellory and “The Sinj Standard” of objective statism, Northfocus positions itself as the gritty outsider. Northfocus editorials often refer to the Herald as “The Court Circular,” while the Herald dismisses Northfocus as “The Bistrica Pamphlet.”
Notable Programming (NF-TV)
- The Northern Line: A nightly news program anchored from Bistrica. It famously refuses to cover “Sinj Society” gossip, filling that airtime with reports on harvest yields and union strikes.
- Red Water: An award-winning documentary series investigating the pollution of Lake Vokavovic by Maj Holdings.
- The Assembly Uncut: A livestream of parliamentary sessions that specifically highlights interruptions and speeches by Northern Power senators, which are often edited out of TRK broadcasts.
Ownership
Northfocus is structured as a private media cooperative. While nominally owned by a trust of “Northern Citizens,” it is an open secret that the Iric family remains the primary financial backer. The current Editor-in-Chief is Jakov Iric, a cousin of Senator Syv Iric.