Journalists’ union slams SYRIZA over political ad

The Athens Journalists’ Union (ESIEA) denounced on Saturday what it described as the “unacceptable blanket vilification” of Greek journalists in a political ad published by the main opposition part, insinuating that the government secured positive press coverage by doling out money to the media for its coronavirus containment campaign.

The video, which shows a journalist being showered with money as she begins a newscast mentioning Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, serves SYRIZA’s political agenda against ruling New Democracy, ESIEA said. 

SYRIZA accused the union of “selective sensitivity” to satire while ignoring the government’s “dangerous…covert funding of non-existent media,” which is “dangerous for the freedom of the press and democracy.”

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas has said that the amounts paid to the media will be disclosed once the campaign is over.