Between the lines
A particular genre of journalism has taken root in Greece, being passed on from one generation to the next. That genre has been fed and maintained by politicians. Anonymous journalists offer the most hair-raising or sexy gossip concerning politicians, businessmen and journalists. Their reports are never cross-checked. You may read that you’re on a space mission to Mars, but no one will ever bother ringing you to confirm the report. The gossip may circulate by word of mouth before ending up in some of the so-called respected newspapers. The first thing that strikes one is the amount of advertising in these publications by the broader state sector. Public corporations and ministers appear to subsidize them as if this is some kind of cultural good that warrants special protection. A second thing is the importance that senior politicians attach to these comments. The sight of an anonymous comment in a gossip column in a glossy magazine makes a politician lose sleep. Finally, despite their poor sales and failure to meet their financial obligations, they still manage to survive. You see, their publishers know that there will always be some generous minister to throw them a lifeline ahead of a crucial election. This habit of anonymous, vitriolic comments is exclusive to Greece. In other European markets, the major players have imposed rules of healthy competition: You either play by the same rules or you shut down. It all started some years ago when a medium-sized publisher went up to Bank of Greece Governor Xenophon Zolotas demanding a large sum of money. When Zolotas turned down the request, the publisher responded that he was not alone in asking for renumeration. «But this is blackmail, sir,» the noble Zolotas said before receiving the man’s shocking reply: «Yes it is, Governor. But I have to make a living too.»
