A statement by the EANA board

To the Government of Greece,

The Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has been made aware of an expected overhaul of Greek public service media and the Athens News Agency. Understanding the urgent situation under which the Greek government is working to come to grips with the economic situation etc, this is urging the Greek government to safeguard the editorial independence of Athens News Agency, a respected member of the European Alliance of News Agencies. Unbiased news play even more essential role for democracy in a critical situation as Greece is in today.

The European Alliance of News Agencies comprises news agencies in 30 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business.The news agency business constitutes the very basics of news gathering and distribution and has to be seen as a backbone of true and unbiased news reporting in a democracy. It is a business that needs a healthy environment abounding in freedom of the press, fair competition and simple and basic rules to operate.

The EANA member agencies are primarily providers of news stories and also of pictures, graphics, radio and video reports and other information to both traditional media and new media environments created by the rapid development of modern information technology.

News agencies working in accordance with the principles of press freedom and unbiased news are of major importance to the democratic society. To secure an economic and legal environment for news agencies operating in accordance with these rules is therefore one of EANA´s main concerns.

The rapid development of information technology opens up more and more platforms where there is a direct or indirect need for reliable news coverage.

This is the background to the EANA board urging the Greek government to take these aspects into consideration when planning to make media policy changes and to ensure that the Athens News Agency also in the future will have an independent role as a provider of unbiased and trustworthy news services for both traditional and new media in Greece and abroad.

For the board of the European Alliance of News Agencies

Erik Nylén

Secretary General

For more information please contact Erik Nylén, Secretary General, EANA +46 739 865272, [email protected]