ΝΕΟΚΟΜΙΤΑΤΖΗΔΕΣ.....

FYROM's Dictator Nikola Gruevski and the Control of Journalism

The dictatorship of FYROM’s Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, was from its inception in 2006 based on a disproportional media propaganda, based on the system of government subsidizes to private media houses (something that has not been proclaimed illegal in FYROM). 

 

 

 

 

 

The domination of VMRO-DPMNE on classical media, like TV and printed press which are still – even with widespread Internet coverage – most important forms of getting news, secured the victory of the far-right VMRO-DPMNE and subsequent near-monopoly on all forms of government. Since as a result of series of recent negotiations mediated by Western diplomats resident in FYROM, Gruevski agreed to early parliamentary elections for April 2016, he, as his communistic predecessors prior to 1991, is almost permanently present in media, usually on the events of opening of some government-sponsored infrastructure project.

This is so even in the case of most minuscule spending on small improvements. With this Gruevski builds an image of “achiever”, who, surrounded with news government-sponsored infrastructure, reminds everybody that “SDSM (Social-Democrats, in opposition) didn’t achieved anything when they held the power. A news, which is today (Tuesday) in focus of all media is that the Pro-Gruevski corporation (MPM) which controls all newspapers in FYROM (except one) decided to impose 10-30% cut on journalist's salaries. This is likely an attempt to keep them loyal during the ongoing campaign for the April 2016 election.

MPM, in which Turkish and German interests became predominant over the year, controls the main printed media in FYROM. It may seem surprising that this media holding would reduce journalistic salaries from 10-30% (from their otherwise low baseline of roughly 400-500 euros), but the second glance upon this measure reveals that most likely the flexible reduction is left to editor’s discretion as a punitive measure against journalist that would dare to criticize, even in the most mild manner, the rule of a Prime Minister which was called for the long time “the eternal and immortal shepherd of his people” (sic!) by the public TV, MRT.

This media domination and creation of 'personality cult' secures the likelihood that even with the formal “fair play” during the April 2016 elections, the image of Gruevski as a “patriotic reformer” (“patriotism” being made equal with “Anti-Hellenism” since his ascent in 2006) shall be so much paraded everywhere that his victory seems secured in absence of any visible alternative to the public in FYROM.

 

 

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