On the occasion of the publication of the first Media Observatory Report (MORE) of the ALGREE project, Ioannis Armakolas and Alexandra Voudouri gave an interview to the Albanian Daily News in which they presented the subjects addressed by the MORE and explained the project’s rationale and goals.
Commenting on the key findings of the first MORE, Ioannis Armakolas pointed out that Greek and Albanian media tend to focus on sensitive issues and reproduce negative narratives, rather than acting as facilitators for the two governments’ efforts to settle their bilateral issues. This is also evident on a societal level. He also stressed that this problematic reporting by media in both countries influences public opinion, which in turn hinders political and societal understanding between Greece and Albania.
Asked about the Albanian migrant community in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania, Alexandra Voudouri highlighted the positive role these communities play as a bridge between the two societies, even though “both politics and the media have failed to follow the example of the two peoples, whose relationship is very good”. Furthermore, asked to assess Albanian-Greek relations, she argued that both are entering a new chapter in their bilateral relations and expressed the hope that they can serve as a model for the Balkan nations in terms of bilateral relations.
This interview was part of the media dissemination strategy of the ALGREE – “Albania-Greece: Understanding. Connecting. Partnering” project powered by the Open Society Foundation for Albania (OSFA) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Greece and Cyprus (FNF).
Click to read the interview.
