The press when it functions as it should is not a decorative element of democracy. It is not a polite guest invited to nod approvingly at power. The press exists to watch, to question, to expose and when necessary, to confront authority without fear. Its role is not comfortable and it was never meant to be. A free press is the institutionalised irritation of government power. It asks the questions that those in authority would prefer never to hear and reveals the truths that they would prefer buried.
This is precisely why authoritarian governments, in every corner of history, have always treated the press as their primary enemy. Control the information and you control the narrative. Control the narrative and you control the perception of reality. From the earliest propaganda machines to modern digital manipulation, the strategy has remained the same, silence the critics, intimidate the reporters and flood the public sphere with noise so loud that truth becomes almost impossible to hear.
In Greece today under the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis we are witnessing a disturbingly familiar pattern. The government has used every available mechanism to undermine independent journalism and silence dissenting voices. The illegal telephone tapping scandal was not a misunderstanding, nor was it an isolated bureaucratic mishap. It was a systemic assault on democratic oversight. Journalists, opposition politicians and individuals who dared to challenge the government’s narrative suddenly found themselves under surveillance. Phones were tapped, conversations monitored and the basic right to privacy casually discarded as if it were a bureaucratic inconvenience.
In a functioning democracy such revelations would trigger outrage, accountability, resignations and perhaps even the collapse of a government. In Greece however, the reaction from the ruling establishment was something entirely different, denial, deflection and the familiar tactic of burying the scandal under layers of procedural fog.
But perhaps the most grotesque irony of all is what followed recently. The very government that stands accused of undermining press freedom and spying on journalists has now decided to organize a seminar and a public event about defending society from fake news.
Yes, you read that correctly.
The same administration that presides over one of the most compromised media environments in Europe now presents itself as the guardian of truth.
It would be comical if it were not so dangerous. The Greek media landscape has increasingly become a heavily managed ecosystem where large segments of the press function less as watchdogs and more as amplifiers of government messaging. Critical voices are marginalised, investigative journalism struggles for oxygen and public broadcasting behaves more like a public relations department than an independent journalistic institution.
Meanwhile a network of friendly commentators, obedient television panels and well-funded messaging operations tirelessly works to frame criticism as “misinformation.” If reality becomes inconvenient the solution is simple, redefine reality.
And this is where the so-called “Squad of Truth” enters the stage, a modern communications apparatus that often resembles less a fact-checking initiative and more a digital propaganda brigade. With remarkable enthusiasm, they patrol the online space, attacking critics, spinning narratives and presenting government talking points as objective fact.
The comparison with Goebbels may sound dramatic to some but the underlying principle is disturbingly similar, repeat the message often enough, loudly enough, and through enough channels and eventually the distinction between fact and fiction begins to blur.
The real purpose of these campaigns is not to eliminate fake news. It is to monopolise the authority to define what truth is. And once a government claims that authority, democracy begins to suffocate.
A government genuinely concerned about misinformation would begin by protecting investigative journalism, strengthening independent regulatory bodies and ensuring transparency in state-media relations. It would guarantee that journalists can operate without intimidation or surveillance. It would encourage pluralism in the media landscape rather than quietly rewarding loyalty and punishing criticism.
But that is not what we see. Instead, we see a carefully managed information environment where access, funding and visibility often depend on political obedience. Media outlets that challenge power struggle financially whilst those that faithfully reproduce government narratives enjoy remarkable stability.
The result is a distorted public conversation where citizens are not fully informed participants in democracy but passive consumers of curated narratives.
And yet, in the midst of all this, the government organizes a seminar about fake news ...as if the architects of the information problem have suddenly decided to become its solution.
This is not merely hypocrisy. It is political theatre. It is the arsonist standing in front of the burning building, lecturing the crowd about fire safety.
The danger of such theatrics lies not only in the immediate manipulation of public perception but in the long-term erosion of trust. When governments weaponize the language of truth while simultaneously undermining the institutions that protect it, citizens eventually stop believing anyone.
And that is the final victory of propaganda, not when people believe the lies, but when they believe that truth itself no longer exists.
A democracy cannot survive in that environment. The press must remain a watchdog, not a lapdog. It must bark when power misbehaves and bite when corruption hides behind polished speeches and staged seminars. Journalists are not enemies of the state; they are defenders of the public’s right to know.
When governments begin treating them otherwise, history has already shown us where that road leads. And Greece, a country that gave birth to the very concept of democracy, should recognise that danger faster than most.
Because when the guardians of power begin lecturing the public about truth, it is usually a sign that the truth itself has already become their greatest enemy.
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Published across diverse print & digital platforms.
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