German union reacts over ‘greedy Greeks’ campaign
The German Federation of Journalists (DJV) on Thursday condemned Bild newspaper for running a campaign calling its readers to take a picture of themselves next to a front page reading: “No more billions for the greedy Greeks.”
“One can like or dislike the German government’s policy on Greece,” said DJV chairman Michael Konken. “But a campaign that aims to directly affect political decisions is not part of journalism’s mission. The fact that a tabloid adopts a different language and style is natural but Bild’s selfie initiative exceeds the limits of a political campaign.”
Konken said that to vilify a whole nation for the mistakes of its politicians runs counter to media ethics.
Last week Bild thanked German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble on its front page after he initially rejected Greece’s attempt to reach a compromise with its eurozone partners.
Earlier, the newspaper had published a two-page spread of all the commentaries it has published regarding Greece since the beginning of the country’s economic crisis in 2010.
