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19th December, 2001
We are holding this press conference in full awareness of an exceptionally
critical situation in the information sector. I am referring to a crisis,
which has two interwoven parts, two aspects which cannot be dealt with
separately.
I am speaking of, on the one hand of the quality of the information provided
to the Greek public and on the other of the prospects for the journalists
and all the other workers in the media without wanting to exaggerate,
I would like to emphasize that each aspect of the crisis is equally serious.
Whatever fate awaits the one will drag along the other. It is a crucial
time.
We are journalists, we are the ones who use our minds and whatever skills
and talents we command to produce something, which is not just any commodity.
It is news, information for the whole of society. We all know what intolerable
stage we have reached. Not only can we not simply talk about essential
information but also we are witnesses to a prevalent commercialization
and the lowering of the quality of information.
Certain phrases may be disagreeable but they are on the lips of more and
more people and reflect today' s reality.
It is true: the information sector has been filled with trash. It is regarded
by some as a dumping ground where their own interests are presented as
a form of information. Electronic media, mainly TV, plays the leading
role in this descent. This misinformation, the transforming of the insignificant
into a major news story, the domination of a sub-culture with reality
shows, etc. that trivialize people's needs, human tragedy -all this and
much more have justified Umberto Ecco who pointed out years ago that today
we do not need dictators. The mind and consciousness of the majority are
better controlled by the dominant through the media.
When television is transformed into a dictator anything can happen. But
I can't damn electronic media, the web or portals because the world of
newspapers and magazines is teeming with similar examples. This shows
that the problem is deeper, all embracing.
This cannot continue because in the end the garbage will smother us all.
Journalists have to face their own responsibility for this grievous situation.
We will not deny it even though the degree of responsibility differs from
person to person.
It is one form of responsibility for the simple journalist working in
unfavorable conditions, often in circumstances of "new poverty"
who with difficulty can hold out against becoming the means by which his
own credibility and that of the profession are damaged.
The responsibility of the big-name journalists, the executives, all those
who participate in decision-making is different.
For better or for worse the majority of journalists are not those who
shape the politics of the media. Neither they nor the rest of the people
who work in the press or broadcasting control the game that the media
play. Whether we are talking about viable companies or their plans.
We would like to ask what position the government takes regarding this
problem and what it has to say. What comments does the P.M. himself have
to make about such a major topic?
Because, let's not be under any illusions, when we talk about such problems
in the information sector we are talking about a serious matter of political
conjuncture.
The same questions must be put to the opposition, to their leader, in
fact to all the political parties, to all the MPs who represent the Greek
people.
And in this new era the media workers want and will adamantly demand new
terms. At this moment this means a loud NO to the shrinking of the profession,
no to the dismissals which are liable to become a wave which will sweep
away -without discrimination- journalists, office workers, typographers,
etc
We will not stand for job reduction. We will not allow dismissals to continue,
we will demand the reinstating of employees -all together, all the journalists'
and affiliated unions.
Also, and as we all know this is connected to the dismissals, we will
not stand for our work to be scorned, the escalating work load, the undermining
in practice of our collective agreements so that what is being carefully
planned in practice can become formally enforced.
I would like to enlarge on several of their issues starting with the matter
of the dismissals. An avalanche of dismissals in a sector where the companies
had a large turnover, huge profits which were perhaps at the top end of
the scale as compared to other companies.
Are we going to allow ourselves to be swept along? Or are we going to
react against it now? Our reply is react now, act now.
We know that it is going to be a painful, laborious procedure, which will
require the highest degree of readiness, solidarity and mutual support.
This is because the dismissals will be accompanied by attempts to violate
our collective agreements, by pressure over the termination of these and
the signing of the new agreements for 2002, so that we will cut back our
demands.
I am referring in particular to the violation of the 5-day week, a phenomenon
which has been noted in several companies. This in its turn results in
the infringement of working hours, overtime is not compensated for -this
results in reduced pay- and the unavoidable outcome is the change in work
relations.
This means that the media corporations want to transfer the cost of reforming
or restructuring of their companies onto the employees and their income.
They want, using this combination of dismissals and violation of our rights,
to create an atmosphere of tension and insecurity so that any further
demands will appear unrealistic. Then they can refuse pay rises or, for
example, fees for authors' rights to journalists whether they are on contract
or freelance. Everything will be sacrificed in the name of restructuring
and the future is unclear.
The problem, which will supposedly be solved in this way, obviously does
not start with us. It is not the cost of labor which gives the companies
headaches. It is the quality of their publications, the competition between
publishers, the drop in circulations and readership, and the reduction
in advertising "packages".
It is also the "sins" of the near past, the uncontrolled expansion
of companies, the wasteful squandering of funds and playing games on the
stock exchange. All this was essentially allowed by the government and
the ministries officially responsible not only took no steps to stop the
impunity but also helped them with tax exemption.
This is due to the connections between the media and political and economic
power. Corporations are using the media for pressure to further their
own interests.
It is a vicious circle which we cannot allow to drag us in. The analysis
of the official financial statements made public by the corporations shows
that it is not the employees nor their wages that are the cause of the
crisis.
The Minister of Culture spoke of self-regulation for the problems concerning
the media. What kind of self-regulation can we talk about under these
conditions? Are we to allow market logic to solve such problems? This
is not a discussion concerning ideology but about our existence. And nobody
can tell us that we do not have the right to discuss this. We the media
workers must not become part of this crisis.
This is something we will not accept. It is possible to create the conditions
to fight for regulations and to reverse the negative climate in the information
sector, in general, and fight for Collective Agreements which will show
a complete restructuring of the labor conditions in the media. Collective
agreements which will reflect the professional standard for all and will
insure that journalists will responsibly inform the public and nobody
else.
Journalism cannot exist under conditions of bribery, poverty and fear.
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