Media Dictatorship in Greece

 

Al Jazeera’s feature on the Greek media in the video that follows, underlines the truth many have known in Greece for several years now. The fact that graffiti on walls says «switch off the TV» goes to show that Greeks no longer view news bulletins and journalists as objective.

The picture above was snapped during last year’s demonstrations at the end of May in Thessaloniki. It was one of many messages taped on columns outside the city’s symbol of pain and freedom, the White Tower, which translates to: «If TV said it, it’s probably a lie.»

Though links between political parties and the media have been common knowledge to Greeks, far too

Forget about preventing default in Greece, control it, says Europe

By Michael Steininger, Christian Science Monitor | 08:54 am

Greece’s European partners are increasingly skeptical that Athens can avoid default.The highly indebted country is working feverishly to secure a debt write-off to avoid default, but international investors see even that as a default of sorts.

With only weeks to go before a crucial bond repayment date, statements from European leaders reveal a growing mistrust in the Greek political class’s ability and willingness to implement deficit cutting measures.Without those measures, Greece will not receive a necessary second bailout from international lenders, and without the bailout, it will likely

Mass S&P downgrade as Greek debt impasse hit euro zone

By Matthias Sobolewski and Dina Kyriakidou

BERLIN/ATHENS (Reuters) – Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their coveted triple-A status but not EU paymaster Germany, in a Black Friday 13th for the troubled single currency area.

«Today’s rating actions are primarily driven by our assessment that the policy initiatives that have been taken by European policymakers in recent weeks may be insufficient to fully address ongoing systemic stresses in the eurozone,» the U.S.-based ratings agency said in a statement.

In a potentially more ominous setback, negotiations on a debt swap by private creditors seen as crucial

Greek prime minister warns of March default

Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has said Greece may default on its debts in March unless unions accept further cuts to salaries.

Mr Papademos said more cuts were needed to avoid exiting the eurozone.

Analysts say the warning is to prepare Greece for more austerity measures.

Contagion: Europe on The Brink as Debt Crisis Spreads To Spain

• This is going to end badly for the world. I do not believe that Asia will escape, it may suffer less but will suffer nevertheless.

  CONTAGION: EUROPE ON THE BRINK AS DEBT CRISIS SPREADS TO SPAIN 

  By Emily Fox for www.express.co.uk

  FEARS of contagion in Europe intensified today as the debt crisis spread to Spain. Spain was forced to pay nearly 7 per cent to borrow 3.56 billion euros (£3billion) on bond markets. Italian