ABSTRACT

In the era of media convergence, it is more and more evident that journalism, filmmaking, television, cinema and the Internet all merge on an empirical, industrial and conceptual level. The effect of this tendency – as a result of the ongoing transformations of media culture during the economic crisis, namely after 2010 – is apparent in Greece, too, with the recent rise of online documentary journalism. However, research on the history of Greek TV documentary is practically non-existent. Taking on Jason Mittell’s notion of the TV genre as a cultural category (Jason Mittell 2001; 2004; 2008), this paper explores the “discursive practices”, the formal changes and the establishment of authorship of this TV documentary and journalistic genre that is at times called “enimerotiko programma” (literally “informative programme”) and at others documentary. The paper delves into the three most acknowledged TV series created by journalists Stelios Kouloglou (Reportaz horis synora/Reportage Without Borders), Sotiris Danezis (Embolemi zoni/War Zone) and Yorgos Avgeropoulos (Exandas) that were often presented at the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

Keywords: Documentary Journalism, Genre as cultural category, Greek current-affairs programme, Greek TV documentary, Greek TV history