REPORTS
Two leading journalist unions allege state broadcaster failed to provide non-objective coverage of the Tempi rail tragedy
On 3 September 2024, two of Greece’s leading journalists’ unions (ΠΟΕΣΥ and ΕΣΗΕΑ) issued a joint statement alleging the violation of the principles of objectivity and journalistic ethics by state broadcaster ERT in its news coverage of the Tempi tragedy in 2023 and 2024.
The president of the Association of Relatives and Victims – of Tempi 2023, Maria Karystianou, reportedly told the two journalists’ associations that ERT has never hosted her in its news program, and furthermore failed to broadcast a press conference on 5 June 2024 which announced the collection of 1.5 million signatures of citizens in favour of the amendment of the legislative regime of the criminal liability of ministers and parliamentary immunity against the background of the political responsibilities of the deadly train accident.
According to ERT’s general principles of content provision, its radio and television broadcasts, as well as the content of its websites, are governed, inter alia, by the principles of objectivity and completeness of information, pluralism and the free movement of ideas. The above principles contribute to ERT’s declared mission, which is to provide a public broadcasting service in accordance with Article 15 par. 2 of the Constitution and to contribute to informing the Greek people, ensuring pluralism and independence from the State, and all public or private authorities and political parties, and prepares and broadcasts its content subject only to the relevant provisions of the Constitution and the legislation”.
However in this case, two leading journalists’ associations allege that ERT did not follow these principles, or carry out its constitutionally guaranteed mission, since on the one hand, for one and a half years, it failed to give airtime to one of the most influential persons of the judicially investigated tragedy of Tempi (mother of the victim and president of the Association of Relatives and Victims of Tempi 2023), and on the other hand, it refused to cover a press conference which concerned an issue of major public interest, for which 1.5 million citizens have signed up.
Furthermore, we note here that the ability of ERT to be independent and carry out its mission “independent of political parties” and “public authorities” has been widely questioned, given that its administration is appointed directly by the government, and that its chairman comes from high-ranking positions of the party and the government that proposed and appointed him as head of Public Broadcasting.
The purpose, mission and general principles of the content provided by ERT require the Public Broadcaster to produce news that respects the principles of objectivity and completeness of information, as well as pluralism and the free flow of ideas, in order to provide a public broadcasting service in accordance with Article 15 para. 2 of the Constitution and to contribute to the independent transmission of information and news, with full independence from the State, public or private authorities and political parties.
However, in the case in question, ERT, according to two journalist associations, violated the above principles of journalistic ethics in its coverage of the Tempi tragedy, an issue of major public interest, on which citizens have the right to be fully informed.
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