Almost all Portuguese tune in for the eight o’clock news every evening; thus, I no longer wonder why there are only two great political parties in full function in Portugal.
Media, plays a huge part delivering and shaping people opinions and often the late night news in almost all 5 news channels are dedicated for PSD or the Socialist party. The lastly mentioned as an oppositional party gathers the headlines criticizing the current events almost every night. It is definitely media-sexy.
Media sexy, an event that gathers everyones attentions and forces a form an opinion, it is The hot potato.
Suffering from the aftermath of the euro crisis, turns everything inevitably politically media sexy. There is no green party explaining their vision for the economy in the 8 o’clock news, nor much of a current governing party CDS-PP (center right) not to mention the animal parties etc. No, the media likes it this way as it can create new topics.
It is the Portuguese mentality that thrives from the ‘tristeza’, saddness and ‘miseria,-misery because it is easier for the media, than even trying to explain that the difference in the last trimester for inflation slowing down is a promising sign.
RTP being the official news channel founded by state can be the most guilty of bad journalism; as for instance the last euro crisis news piece; coming from Ireland; with the title “Ireland is gaining back its sovereignty”. Which is a very media sexy title for the Portuguese nation. Moreover, - relating to it becomes quite easy.
The truth is; Ireland never lost its sovereignty in the first place. As a basic political science methodology is that a country does not loose its territory; citizens & culture; nor governance over taking up a loan and paying it back. Again explaining this to the public is not media sexy. It never is.
So can there be something positive in this troika set up? Look at Latvia, a country who struggled the most getting back on its feet after the Soviet collapsed. For Last ten years fought hard financially and thus received a very welcomed EU membership and with the help of the EU; European Central Bank and IMF; it is one of the growing economies in the EU region. After even a greater suffering and belt tightening than Portugal has experienced.
Therefore, if the troika program doesn’t produce the wanted results, then perhaps the blame lies within the Portuguese governing structure per se. Not the other way around. Once again put this in the news, not media sexy.
Lastly, the point is the media could for change try to emphasize something else other than the misery and actually try to find both aspects in to the story, as there always exists both sides. So far we only been hearing one.
By no means I am trying to say getting back on your feet is easy as a Nation, on the contrary. But if you loose hope, it is not cause of the IMF, that depends on the Nation itself.
I grew up in the late 80´s and 90´s Finland where economic depression was the first and the last thing one would hear during the day. Where teachers were constantly striking and ‘way-below -the belt’ fart humor glorified the TV channels to cheer up the people and where people did not know where and if will they work tomorrow.
Thus, knowing the change will not happen in a day, it is a process leaving scars but it will take a turn at some point.
