Media Capture Monitoring Report: Greece

The Greek media landscape is characterized by a high concentration of media in the hands of wealthy families with close political ties, particularly the New Democracy party. As a result, despite an abundance of media outlets, effective pluralism remains weak. The report also focuses on the vulnerability of Greece’s media regulator and public service media to political interference.

This is the fourth in a series of seven country reports to be published in 2024.

The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), effective as of May 2024, mandates Member States to reform national media laws to combat media capture. Required reforms include ensuring media regulator independence, promoting transparency in media ownership, safeguarding media pluralism, and restricting state influence on editorial policies.

The report underscores how Greece’s media environment remains heavily influenced by vested interests. Although legally independent, the National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) faces considerable political pressure. Despite new rules introduced following the ‘Petsas list’ scandal, when publicly funded Covid-19 health messages were directed away from critical media, t state advertising use still lacks transparency and remains vulnerable to abuse. Media concentration and a lack of ownership transparency exacerbate media pluralism issues, making Greece particularly vulnerable to media capture.

This report covers seven EU countries – Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia – as part of a pilot initiative to create an annual report series that tracks compliance and progress in the years ahead. These case studies aim to support media rights organizations, policymakers, and advocacy groups in monitoring advancements and advocating for legislative reform.