Page 129 - The Professionalisation of Political Communication Chaning Media, Changing Europe Volume 3

Political Communication.qxd 12/7/06 7:30 pm Page 126
Political Communication.qxd 5/1/07 15:06 Page 128

126 | THE PROFESSIONALISM OF POLITICAL COMMUNICATION

of the broadcasting system and the development of a plethora of private TV channels.
Greece has undergone broadcasting commercialisation, adopting a market-led
approach, resulting in more channels, more advertising, more programme imports and
more politics. And, as in other Mediterranean countries, the publishers and other
business-oriented interests have decisively entered the broadcasting landscape
(Papathanassopoulos, 1997; 2001a). The result has been an overcrowded landscape
comprising 160 private TV channels and 1200 private radio stations broadcasting in an
comprising 160 private TV channels and 1200 private radio stations. In the 1990s, the
overcrowded landscape. In the 1990s, the Greek newspapers faced the biggest
Greek newspapers faced the biggest challenge in their history: increasing competition
challenge in their history: increasing competition from electronic media and the need
from electronic media and the need to harness the publishing tools offered by new
technologies (Leandros, 1992; Psychogios, 1992, pp. 11–35; Zaoussis & Stratos, 1995,
to harness the publishing tools offered by new technologies, (Leandros, 1992;
Psychogios, 1992, pp. 11–35; Zaoussis & Stratos, 1995, pp. 171–187; Papathanasopoulos,
pp. 171–187; Papathanasopoulos, 2001b). For newspapers, these challenges required
2001b). For newspapers, these challenges required the reconsideration of traditional
the reconsideration of traditional publishing goals and marketing strategies
publishing goals and marketing strategies (Zaharopoulos & Paraschos, 1993, p. 67).
(Zaharopoulos & Paraschos, 1993, p. 67). However, the political affiliation of newspapers
is always manifested in periods of intense political contention,including election periods
However, the political affiliation of newspapers is always manifested in periods of
(Komninou,1996).
intense political contention,including election periods (Komninou,1996).
During this period, political parties and politicians have faced considerable difficulties
in getting their agendas placed before the public. For example, since the mid 1980s,
accusations relating to scandals and corruption have become a frequent issue in the
public agenda. In the past, political parties, which were based on a system of patronage
regardless of whether or not they remained leader-oriented,could not only create news
items that were often incorporated into the national agenda, but they could also
mobilise strong constituencies ready to support those agendas (Mouzelis, 1986; 1995;
Kargiotis, 1992; Tsoukalas, 1986; Charalambis, 1989; Charalambis & Demertzis, 1993;
Lyrinztis,1987).

The Professionalisation of Political Communication
Political parties are now less able to differentiate themselves one from another on the
basis of their political programmes. From about the late 1980s, there has been
congruence among the leading political parties (New Democracy and PASOK-Pan-
Hellenic Socialist Movement) that has helped to run the country since the restoration of
the Parliament in 1974. The entry of Greece into the European Union (EU), the
internationalisation of the economy and the changes in the international political order
have led the two leading political parties to adopt similar, if not identical, policies
(Moschonas, 2001). On the other hand, one could argue that Greece has entered, as
Charalambis notes (1996, p. 286), a ‘demystifying process’, which has allowed real
problems to appear in the formation and functioning of the Greek political system and
demonstrated the collapse of all sorts of alibis – social and political – available to
politicians and political parties.

Hand in hand with these developments is growing disenchantment with traditional
politics. Research provided by various pollsters shows that in the last decade Greek
citizens have become less supportive of the political parties, less trusting of the political
system and more likely to abstain from party membership.This of course increases the
128