Department of Informatics and Media Master’s Programme in Social Sciences, Digital Media and Society specialization Two-year Master’s Thesis Alternative media in Greece Diving into the pool of millennials’ attitudes Student: Avgustina Zaimi Supervisor: Johan Lindell May 2021 Abstract This thesis aimed at examining, in the middle of an intense sociopolitical crisis in the Greek landscape, how young users of alternative media in Greece reflect on traditional media, how they view alternative media and how they use them in order to mobilize, engage politically and acquire types of oppositional knowledge. In-depth interviews on Greek millennials indicated a cognitive-driven relationship to mainstream media while a generic tendency towards alternative media was noticed, however, accompanied by a critical stance. Political participation was present on both offline and online versions, with an apparent inclination to online types through e-petitions and expressive forms of action, such as content sharing and posts on social media. Oppositional types of knowledge were identified through the millennials’ responses, though, with a presence of reservedness and critique. The shift towards alternative media depicted the emergence of a concrete digital familiarization of Greek millennials who seriously engage to sociopolitical issues and at the same time preserve their doubts as far as credibility or objectivity of news is concerned. Future research could be conducted focusing on the content analysis of alternative media news platforms. Therefore, micro-organizational aspects, such as agenda-setting and news production along with ethical lines that are followed, would enrich the picture of alternative media landscape in Greece and maybe provide the motivation to examine the aforementioned conditions in other media systems, as well. Acknowledgements Having completed this precious journey, I would like to, first and foremost, thank all the professors and coordinators of Uppsala University who shared their knowledge with utter devotion and zeal. A special thank you to my supervisor, Johan Lindell, who was supportive with his excellent and always on point feedback. A sweet thanks to all the friends who were there for me, especially during days that were even darker than my dark circles. Lastly, the biggest thank you to my parents who always believed in me when I didn’t myself. Contents ................................................................................................................................................................ 0 1.Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. A general idea- subject of the thesis-research questions .............................................................. 1 1.2. Structure of the thesis ................................................................................................................... 3 2.The Greek media system: Mistrust in a flawed media system ............................................................. 4 2.1. The polarized pluralist media system ........................................................................................... 4 2.1.1. The rope of ‘rousfeti’ ............................................................................................................ 5 2.1.2. Media ownership ................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3. Media control ........................................................................................................................ 7 2.2. A wave of crisis ........................................................................................................................... 9 2.3. Issues of trust ............................................................................................................................. 12 2.3.1. Trust in Greek traditional media ......................................................................................... 13 2.4. Alternative media as a ‘rhizome’ ............................................................................................... 14 3.Previous research ............................................................................................................................... 16 3.1. The importance of internet media for alternative voices ........................................................... 16 3.2. Factors of media trust ................................................................................................................. 17 3.3. Participation and oppositional knowledge ................................................................................. 19 3.4. Millennials, digital media use, political engagement and field contribution ............................ 21 4. Theoretical framework ...................................................................................................................... 23 4.1. Alternative media ....................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.1. Alternative media through classic sociological theories ..................................................... 23 4.1.2. Defining alternative media .................................................................................................. 24 4.1.3. Digital alternative media ..................................................................................................... 26 4.2. Political participation ................................................................................................................. 28 4.2.1. Conceptualizing political participation ............................................................................... 28 4.2.2. E-participation ..................................................................................................................... 30 4.3. Oppositional knowledge ............................................................................................................ 31 4.3.1. Counterdiscourses ............................................................................................................... 32 4.3.2. The conceptualization of oppositional knowledge .............................................................. 33 5.Methods ............................................................................................................................................. 35 5.1. Qualitative research method....................................................................................................... 35 5.2.1. Epistemological assumptions .............................................................................................. 36 5.3. Research design ......................................................................................................................... 37 5.3.1. In-depth interviews ............................................................................................................. 37 5.3.2. Sample and demographics .................................................................................................. 38 5.3.3. Interview practicalities ........................................................................................................ 39 5.3.4. Interview questions ............................................................................................................. 40 5.4 Data analysis ............................................................................................................................... 41 5.4.1. Qualitative content analysis and coding .............................................................................. 41 5.4.2. Issues of credibility ............................................................................................................. 42 5.5. Ethical considerations ................................................................................................................ 42 6.Results and analysis ........................................................................................................................... 44 6.1. Reflections on mainstream media by millennials .......................................................................... 44 6.1.1. Thoughts and trust by millennials on mainstream media .................................................... 44 6.1.2. Consumption of mainstream media by millennials ................................................................. 47 6.2. Views of millennials on Greek alternative media ...................................................................... 48 6.2.1. Reflections on representatives of Greek alternative media ................................................. 48 6.2.2. Opinions and trust of millennials on Greek alternative media ............................................ 52 6.3. Political participation of millennials through Greek alternative media ..................................... 56 6.4. Oppositional knowledge through Greek alternative media ........................................................ 59 7.Conclusions, limitations and future research ..................................................................................... 64 REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 67 Appendix ..............................................................................................................................................