Well-known reporter attacked by demonstrators in Athens

Reporters Without Borders condemns a physical attack by a group of protesters on the well-known TV and newspaper reporter Tassos Teloglou while he was covering a demonstration in Constitution Square in Athens on 15 June. As he tried to free himself from his attackers, someone hit him hard in the face and head, causing him to lose consciousness. Teloglou was rushed to hospital and is still hospitalized five days later. Doctors nonetheless said his condition was not alarming. Well known for his investigative reporting for Skai TV, Teloglou also writes for the daily Kathimerini. “We are dismayed by the attitude of certain demonstrators towards journalists,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Tassos Teloglou is not in any way to blame for Greece’s financial problems or the decisions taken by its government. He was just doing his job as reporter, trying to shed as much light as possible on the protests marking the current social and economic crisis. His efforts nonetheless seem not to have pleased everyone and could have cost him his life.” Confronted by so many social and economic uncertainties, Greeks have more need than ever of reliable news and information from professional journalists. Teloglou acquired his high media profile as a result of his professionalism. Like many of his colleagues, he is a source of news coverage that must be protected and guaranteed. It is high time that radical groups of all political tendencies realized that physical attacks on journalists are not “acts of resistance.” Certain media personnel may rightly be criticized for their lack of professionalism. But the media must continue to be forums for debate and must not be turned into scapegoats for the frustration that some feel. “We reiterate our call to the Greek authorities to give the security forces clear instructions to allow the media to cover the demonstrations freely,” Reporters Without Borders added. “It would be unacceptable if the security forces were again to carry out charges on media personnel or to conduct more summary arrests. “TV crews and newspaper photographers in particular, who are often the most exposed, must be able to cover the protests without being obstructed. We also appeal to the authorities to dispense with the administrative complications that often accompany requests for accreditation or official permits.” Teloglou was previously the target of violence when he and follow journalist Alexis Papachelas presented a book they had co-authored in an Athens bookstore on 18 January 2003. Entitled “17,” it offered a thorough but controversial analysis of the “17 November” radical group. A score of individuals burst in the store, threw red paint and eggs at the journalists, and smashed one of the storefront windows as they left.