1st Edition
The Greek Crisis in the Media Stereotyping in the International Press
The portrayal of Greece by the international press during the financial crisis has been seen by many independent observers as very harsh. The Greeks have often been blamed for a myriad of international political problems and external economic factors beyond their control. In this original and insightful work George Tzogopoulos examines international newspaper coverage of the unfolding economic crisis in Greece. American, British, French, German and Italian broadsheet and tabloid coverage is carefully analysed. The Greek Crisis in the Media debates and dissects the extent to which the Greek response to the financial crisis has been given fair and balanced coverage by the press and questions how far politics and national stereotypes have played their part in the reporting of events. By placing the Greek experiences and treatment alongside those of other EU members such as Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain, Tzogopoulos examines and highlights similarities and differences in the ways in which different countries tackled the challenges they faced during this crucial period and explores how and why the world's media reported these events.
Biography
Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in Athens where he also works as a journalist covering politics and international relations. He has cooperated with the European Council on Foreign Relations, Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Friedrich Ebert Foundation and is a regular contributor to international news agencies and media organisations such as Al-Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC, CCTV, France 24, Reuters, RAI, RTL and ZDF. Tzogopoulos’ publications include the book US Foreign Policy in the European Media: Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism.
’Media reporting on the Greek crisis has been often biased and has deepened the rift between Greece and the outside world. George Tzogopoulos offers a sober and courageous analysis of both the Greek crisis and the international media reporting on Greece.’ Hansjörg Brey, Southeast Europe Association, Munich, Germany ’George Tzogopoulos provides an insightful commentary on what has arguably become the gravest economic crisis to afflict an European Union member state. He does so from the vantage point of being an academic who became a prolific media commentator helping non-Greek journalists to interpret what has been going on inside the country over the last few traumatic years. What Tzogopoulos offers in this books is a comprehensive guide as to how the news media at home and abroad have both portrayed and contributed to the development of this particular story. In doing so he captures the still great uncertainty as to how the political economies of both Greece and the wider EU will recover from what has been the greatest challenge to the integrationist project since its inception after the Second World War.’ Dominic Wring, Loughborough University, UK ’In these times of crisis, Europe is in desperate need for mutual recognition between its peoples. Instead, old stereotypes and new accusations have surfaced again in its political landscape. Nowhere is this pattern more acute than in the case of the Greek crisis and its perception by outsiders. This book provides a fascinating first account of this story while providing a critical assessment of the claims made in the media. The research is absolutely thorough and the analysis spot on. A must for anyone interested in the fate of the EU and the impact of the financial crisis on its citizen’s collective imagination.’ Kalypso Nicolaidis, University of Oxford, UK ’George Tzogopoulos’ book is first account to analyse the role of journalists in a crisis threatening the integrity of the eurozone. As a
