The media and the message
Regardless of which political party is in charge, as long as governments continue to deal with the media in a nontransparent fashion, they will put enormous pressure on all the other media outlets that wish to remain financially independent and viable. The granting of preferential loans by state-owned banks, the discriminatory practices in the distribution of state advertising, and the selective enforcement of free market regulations have all helped to shape a flawed framework that seriously undermines the rules of fair competition. We stand at the beginning of a painful, transitional phase for the country’s media. And it is certain that the solution will not come from misguided strike action nor from unrealistic demands. Otherwise, we run the risk of losing the healthier businesses in the domestic media sector. The state must stop pandering to the interests of «friendly» media, while the media owners and workforce must come to a realistic understanding. If not, Eleftheros Typos will not be the last big newspaper to close down.
