Foreign Press Association rejects ‘targeting’ of journalist by gov’t spox
The representative association for the country’s foreign press correspondents has expressed its “surprise and disappointment” at the “targeting and professional discrediting of a journalist” by government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou.
The Foreign Press Association was responding to a claim made earlier by Oikonomou that a report on the Politico Europe website on the Greek wiretapping scandal was “absolutely inaccurate” and by “a journalist known for her relations with [main opposition] SYRIZA.”
The piece, which was written by Politico Brussels Playbook author Suzanne Lynch, mentioned that Nektaria Stamouli had contributed to the report, which regarded the written response of Greece’s permanent representative to the EU to the Commission’s Directorate General for Justice and Consumers on the Predator spyware.
Stamouli, who was not named by Oikonomou, is FPA president.
The FPA said it considered it “inappropriate for a minister in an EU country, and in particular the one responsible for the media and the press, to publicly target and professionally discredit a journalist.”
“Nektaria Stamouli, in respect for journalistic ethics, has never been a member of any party nor has she ever worked for any government agency,” the FPA said.
In a separate statement, Politico said it was “stands by the accuracy and integrity of Nektaria Stamouli’s journalism.”
“Stamouli is a highly valued contributor to Politico. She started working with us in 2019 after more than seven years reporting with the Wall Street Journal.
“In response to the substance of the complaint, we have reviewed the letter from Greece’s Permanent Representative to the EU Ioannis Vrailas and are satisfied that Stamouli’s citations from it in Wednesday’s edition of Brussels Playbook are entirely accurate.”
