The Liberation Struggle in Cyprus and the Greek-Cypriot Press: The Positions of the Leading Greek-Cypriot Press in 1957- 1960. The Case of “Eleftheria” Newspaper
Date Issued
May 13, 2014
Author(s)
Abstract
Little is known of the relationship between the anticolonial movement in
Cyprus and the role of the Greek-Cypriot press The lack of prior work is a
major obstacle and a challenge for communication, media and/or social
movements researchers who have no empirical knowledge-base on which to
found contemporary studies. The archival material is vast, while at the same
time the researcher is confronted with various problems, such as the choice of
methodology and testimonials. In a bid to address this absence, this paper
presents the preliminary findings of a study dealing with the Liberation
Movement of Cyprus (EOKA) and how this was depicted through the Greek Cypriot press. The period under study is 1957 to 1960, which is when the
EOKA movement was active. Based on a content analysis this study
investigates the positions of three leading Greek-Cypriot newspapers of that
period and aims to present the positions of each newspaper at the level of
policy towards the liberation movement. The study finds that each newspaper
had its own political approach (agenda – settings), framework (framing) and
mediation. Preliminary findings suggest that the Greek-Cypriot press under the
colonial regime presented the liberation and the “enosis” movement more in its
news-articles-reports and less in opinion articles and commentaries. The study
further reveals that journalists’ articles were mostly unsigned. These
observations illustrate that one consequence of the politically explosive
situation in Cyprus was that journalists were reluctant to take sides for or
against the leaders of the liberation movement.
Cyprus and the role of the Greek-Cypriot press The lack of prior work is a
major obstacle and a challenge for communication, media and/or social
movements researchers who have no empirical knowledge-base on which to
found contemporary studies. The archival material is vast, while at the same
time the researcher is confronted with various problems, such as the choice of
methodology and testimonials. In a bid to address this absence, this paper
presents the preliminary findings of a study dealing with the Liberation
Movement of Cyprus (EOKA) and how this was depicted through the Greek Cypriot press. The period under study is 1957 to 1960, which is when the
EOKA movement was active. Based on a content analysis this study
investigates the positions of three leading Greek-Cypriot newspapers of that
period and aims to present the positions of each newspaper at the level of
policy towards the liberation movement. The study finds that each newspaper
had its own political approach (agenda – settings), framework (framing) and
mediation. Preliminary findings suggest that the Greek-Cypriot press under the
colonial regime presented the liberation and the “enosis” movement more in its
news-articles-reports and less in opinion articles and commentaries. The study
further reveals that journalists’ articles were mostly unsigned. These
observations illustrate that one consequence of the politically explosive
situation in Cyprus was that journalists were reluctant to take sides for or
against the leaders of the liberation movement.
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