Threats to press freedom and journalistic resistance in Southern European countries during COVID-19 : the cases of Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed newsrooms globally to economic hardship and new challenges to press freedom and journalism that undermined the duty to serve the public interest. This chapter is based on findings from a cross-national qualitative study, conducted in 2022, which examined the relationship between media, journalism, and politics in four Southern European countries with existing democratic deficits throughout the pandemic and beyond. The discussion is based on semi-structured interviews with journalists from Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta. It provides an overview of the challenges to media markets and journalistic practice as well as journalists’ strategies for maintaining their professional autonomy. Findings indicate that participants preserved to some extent their professional autonomy by adapting strategically, committing to public service, and developing new journalistic practices. The analysis in the chapter is relevant to a range of political contexts where journalism and media face similar threats.