Media freedom in Greece is highly problematic and it has deteriorated since the election of the center-right New Democracy in 2019, an international report published on Monday says.
According to the report by Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), challenges to the independence of the media and the safety of journalists are systemic in the country. “While the problems are not unique, their intensity is highly problematic and sets it apart from most other EU Member States,” the report notes.
MFRR is a Europe-wide mechanism that tracks, monitors, and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
The report, which followed a fact-finding mission to Greece, says that news that is inconvenient or unflattering for the government, which includes reporting on serious human rights violations, does not get reported in many outlets.
“There has been a deterioration of press freedom since Nea Dimokratia’s electoral victory in 2019, who are obsessed with controlling the message and minimizing critical and dissenting voices, as we heard again and again during the fact-finding mission.”