One of the editors-in-chief in our research described how their organisation supported them when they received threats:
I have been threatened and I have called the legal service to the Cybercrime Division and we have done what we needed to do. On the threat level, on the level of comments, each and every one said whatever he/she wanted. If someone is stalking you, then yes, we can use our legal service. Thank god they are here and we have enough to go and get the job done.
Another editor-in-chief also mentioned how their organisation supported journalists that were actually attacked:
A few years ago, we had a reporter that was assaulted by a police officer during a protest. He was hurt so bad that he had to be taken to the hospital. Someone from the website went with him to the hospital […] and he was with him. Whatever he needed, the website was there for him, because that is what was needed to be done.
But the main type of support offered to journalists from their organisations was legal support, as one editor-in-chief mentioned: “When it starts becoming intimidating or you see someone obsessed and is trying to hack you, for example, or is sending threatening letters, that’s where the legal division of the organisation steps in and protects you”.
However, not all journalists feel adequately protected, as in the case of a woman editor-in-chief, who felt that her organisation did not support her as much as they could have:
Limited support I would say. I had a bad example. Members of the Golden Dawn party attacked me and I didn’t feel like my newspaper supported me enough. I think it is an issue of sensibility. They probably felt that I did not need support.
Therefore, it can be concluded that in most cases of harassment, Greek journalists receive different forms of protection and support from their media organisations.
