“The image crisis is as worthy of attention as any problem the Greek’s are facing,” says Mehran Khalili, of the Omikron Project: a volunteer grassroots initiative to combat the negative stereotypes of Greeks that have been created by the international media coverage of the crisis.
Greeks do not want to take responsibility for their failings, they are lazy, the country is on the verge of a civil war, it is a dangerous failed state. These are just some of the negative and erroneous views of the country that have been cultivated by media coverage of the crisis throughout the world.
In recent a talk given to students at Imperial College communications expert Mehran Khalili explains how the dominant narrative of the crisis is a serious problem, making a bad situation much worse. From tourists believing that Greece is descending into a state of anarchy and staying away, to the very real discrimination Greeks are now facing in other countries, the negative news stories have very real consequences.
Mehran argues that rather than the product of some conspiracy to harm Greece, it is more the result of lazy journalism and can and must be combated. He also gives some good ideas about how anyone can play a positive role in turning the tide. It is well worth a watch. And click here to find out more about the Omikron Project.
And here is the first short animation the Omikron Project produced debunking the myths about 'Alex':