Anti-Austerity Protests and the Media in Cyprus, Greece and Spain: Constructing Public Discontent

Although the Eurozone crisis is typically identified by a singular term, it actually consists of a series of interrelated economic crises that have generated public discontent and exacerbated conflicts within the European Union (EU) leading to questions about the social and political future of European integration. Anti-austerity protests have been a recurring trait across all EU member states throughout the crisis. What are the discursive constructions of these anti-austerity protests in the news? How do media hegemony and resistance co-exist in representing conflicting economic, political and social interests? Juxtaposing portrayals in news and social media of three anti-austerity protests in Cyprus, Greece and Spain respectively, this book compares and contrasts media constructions of social justice and citizen agency in their political, national and communication contexts. It deconstructs discursive manifestations in news media in of economic, political and social conflicts that give rise to three national anti-austerity protests, particularly focusing on contestations over the selection, emphasis and elaboration of grievances. By taking a comparative approach the book explores how dissent is articulated or suppressed, amplified or redirected in times of crisis.