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Stacey Dooley on new series Coming Here Soon

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Stacey Dooley Stacey Dooley | 18:34 UK time, Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Presenter Stacey Dooley

My new series (Coming Here Soon, Tuesdays 9pm) looks at how the world’s economic crisis has affected us all - in particularyoung people– and is one of the most important series I think I've done.

In the past I’ve focused on situations that are just as important as this one, but certainly a lot harder for us to relate to. The issue of child soldiers in DR Congo is fortunately not something many of us have first-hand experience of.

But feeling the pressure to find a job or make the wage we earn go as far as we need it to? That’s totally relatable. Nearly all my pals, and definitely myself, have been in that situation. It's no fun.

The economy is in bits here in the UK and as unfair as it is, it seems to be the least to blame are often the hardest hit. It's the same feeling over in Greece, although the Greeks are facing a much tougher time than us right now. Every single person you talk to there tells you they’re stressed and panicking about their future.

Greece is in so much debt and many Greeks say it's because they have been contending with a bent government. They will tell you that those in charge were - and still are - corrupt. They will tell you they were lied to, and given a false sense of security.

Now the country’s leaders are running around trying to find the money they owe. They’re putting harsh austerity measures in place on normal, hardworking people. Jobs are being cut all the time; families are struggling to feed their kids. There were some areas of Athens that reminded me of a third world country. It's a city on its knees.

Half of the Greeks’ youth are unemployed yet every young person I met was bright, academic, keen and talented. They should be an asset to their country, but instead it seems to me they are wasted.They've studied for years because they were told that if they did they would have decent jobs and comfortable lives. That's not been the case. I was heading back to my hotel room one night, and I saw a young lad on a main road with a needle hanging out of his arm nearly unconscious.

That was the same day I saw a mum hanging off the side of a building threatening to jump because she and her partner have both been told they were losing their jobs. She’s got two kids, one of whom is disabled andrequires expensive medicine.

One night I will never ever forget, is when I was in the thick of a protest. There were nearly one million people outside parliament. I've never seen anything like it in my life. The riot police were aggressive and scary; they threw so much tear gas there were rumours they ran out of supplies.

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From what I witnessed, the police threw it without any warning whatsoever. There were kids here at this stage and everyone was struggling to breathe. I couldn't see. You lose your vision and can't get out of the way because there’s so many people, some of whom were getting crushed. In retaliation, people threw petrol bombs and buildings started burning down. This went on for hours. I remember people smashing marble off the steps and buildings. It was terrifying.

I hope people watch the episode and are able to see what it's like for Greek people at the minute. I was blown away by what they are going through right now, especially the young people. You have to keep your fingers crossed and hope things somehow work out for them.

Whether it's a total clear out in parliament or a revolution from the public, things have to change.

What stuck with me is this isn't Africa or South-East Asia. This is a country in the European Union,four hours away on a plane.

It's very close to home.

Coming Here Soon is on Tuesdays at 9pm.

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

  • Comment number 2.

    Have family in Greece and Stacy has proved its not the normal people who have ruined Greece but the government. In Greece the normal people also feel that being dictated to by Germany is unjust. Especially as billions of euros was stolen in artifacts during the war. My family are suffering while I can sit and watch the programme. Stacy. Excellent and grateful that you are showing the true story. So much more I would like to say.

  • Comment number 3.

    Stacey is a pretty girl who has intelligence but views the Greek crisis in purely emotive terms. Her report is not impartial by any means. She sides with the man in the street and fails to address the enormity of the Greek debt, built up over many years of corruption and excess. Yes, the rich in Greece are guilty of tax avoidance on a massive scale but all Greeks have lived falsely on the hog for far too long and they do not like being called to account.

  • Comment number 4.

    I was really looking forward to "Coming here soon: Greece ,Bust". I am very concerned aboiut the plight of the people in Greece and how the problems with the Euro may affect many more countries. Stacey Dooley appers to be a lovely young lady and is obviously very caring. However, I found her presentation skills lacking and feel that she is in need of some training. At the start, I was enjoying the programme very much but Staceys rather squeaky voice and lack of interesting dialogue began to annoy me after a while. I do wonder how some of these presenters manage to achieve such high profile work when they do not appear to be very educated. Stacey didn't speak very well at all dropping her 'H's' on many occasions e.g. "No wonder they get the ump". Well, I am afraid that I "got the hump" listening to her after a while. Sorry for being negative but the subject matter was an interesting one at least. Do you have any jobs going?. If so, I would like to apply.

  • Comment number 5.

    Thanks for a different type of documentary. I've always admired Stacey Dooley's empathy. My main concern for the people of Greece is: How to avoid this chaos disintegrating even further to serious terrorism or even a civil war? I've been homeless once in the past but I've always been lucky enough to have a benefit system to help me back into employment. I can't condone looting and rioting, but I understand the frustsration behind it. Good luck Greece.

  • Comment number 6.

    The whole program was very 'one-sided' and biased. You did not focus on the FACTS on the overall matter. The Greek people have been living beyond their means for years such as in retiring early with a full pension. Overall, the program was disappointing.

  • Comment number 7.

    yes and look whos mining and stealing your gold NOW while tey distract you with the euro crisiis

  • Comment number 8.

    Good insight into the Greek crisis in some ways. Basically, like many other Western countries (including ourselves) the Greeks had massive overspending and unaffordable promises made by past politicians (pensions, expansion of the public sector, healthcare, etc) This led to the bond markets turning against them as further debt was only available at onerous interest rates. Fortunately here we can print money to buy our own bonds which keeps interest rates low (though it hammers sterling, causes inflation and will probably lead to a currency crisis). On a lighter note absolute classic watching Stacey trying to pronounce the Acropolis!

  • Comment number 9.

    agree with Herbage.... too much emotion placed in front of what should be a more factual report. Violent protests are not un common in developed and developing countries.... so there is no need to cry. The camera man seems more than happy to film in the middle of the riots.

    however it does show a side of Greece unkown to the rest of the public outside Athens, but again not so different if you explore the rest of the countries on the Med.

  • Comment number 10.

    I lived in Greece for 30 years and returned to UK two years ago, leaving both my sons in Athens. They are in their mid 20's and are in the same situation as those young people. Stacy has honestly told the true story and it made me proud to see an english reporter there doing this. In all the 30 years I lived and worked in Athens, I was aghast with the extent of tax evasion amongst the rich professionals which was never monitored! The simple hard working greeks couldn't avoid paying their taxes or they would be hammered! It is heartbreaking to watch this beautiful country, my second home, deteriorate to such a degree, but it was inevitable. Thank you for showing the english that not all greeks were to blame for this mess.

  • Comment number 11.

    I would really like to know if you have considered the impact programmes like this have on Greek tourism. Presenting Athens as a battle field over and over again has resulted in major decline in UK tourism, which was/is one of the main Greek exports. Thank you

  • Comment number 12.

    If people want a detailed analysis of world economics, go elsewhere. This film is from 91ȱ3 and it was clear from the offset that it would be filmed from the perspective of young Greeks. I don't wish this comment to be inflammatory. I don't think it was ever meant to be about 'the bigger picture', but a film relating to the people who struggle.

  • Comment number 13.

    I would like to see this but the bbc content can only be viewed in the uk, absolutely great on their behalf. All the demonstrations and tear gas was used to disperse the crowds, even used it in closed areas. The euro is falling and Greece must take the blame by the media stating the Greeks had a life and now they must pay. Sorry but why should we pay. Prior to the Eu, Greece had agriculture, then after the agreement they dismantled everything we had. Germany sold Greece second hand submarines and the latest is Siemens The Eu has drained Greece's resources so as yo take over. Eurozone was and is the downfall of all European countries.

  • Comment number 14.

    I am not normally one to comment but after watching this program I do not see how this uneducated girl with little to no journalistic acumen is allowed to present her unresearched and simple views on the Greek economic crisis. Implying the the crisis was in some way everone elses fault and not that of the Greeks themselves. They have over spent for years without paying anything thing back. I am disappointed in the constant dumbing down of 91ȱ 3's programming and am confused as to why it is not held to the same standards of journalism as the rest of the 91ȱ channels.

  • Comment number 15.

    I just finished watching the documentary thanks to a U.K. based download site which will remain nameless. While I agree with many of the comments offered regarding Stacey's presentation as "leaning towards the man-on-the-street," it is my understanding that 91ȱ3 is aimed at the younger audience who, for the most part, don't really care about being too subjective. Of course this is from an American's opinion and, perhaps, young adults are different and more mature in the U.K and the Euro Zone. However, I am interested in the charity that is represented by Christina: "Give the Child." Having spent the past hour searching for the oranization, with no results, I resorted to a search for Stacey Dooley and hit upon this blog. If anyone should have an address and contact information for "Give the Child" I would be most appreciative.

  • Comment number 16.

    This comment has been referred for further consideration. Explain.

  • Comment number 17.

    As my previous comment has not been posted, lets see if this one is!

    My main points are that this was, in my opinion, an unprofessional and irreverent at times treatment of a world issue. I think 91ȱ3 should show the respect an issue deserves by employing people who are better qualified, in all senses, to take it on. I will not be watching Ireland being given a similar treatment next week, and will stick to watching the News.

  • Comment number 18.

    This is not journalism. This goofy girl clearly has little understanding of the way the world works and thinks everything can be changed for the good of everyone just like that. The seriousness of the situation is not understood, mainly because Stacey appears to have landed in Athens without any preparation or even a modicum of knowledge about what is going on and why. Great, get upset by the rioting, but if you are going to present a meaningful TV programme at least have some subject knowledge. Girly squealing when trying to use a pistol just gives female presenters a bad name. This is the Beeb dumbing down to an extreme I thought was impossible

  • Comment number 19.

    I was told about this show from fellow greeks living in the UK. Starting off it seemed promising, however as i continued watching i could not believe my eyes. This show, despite showing the real extent that the crisis has had on the poorest citizens of greece, utterly fails to put forward any ideas or explanations that are not representative of the extreme leftist mentality and ideology held by only a fraction of the greek people. I would like to believe that the production team was tricked into suggesting that riot police patrol the affluent neighborhoods of athens to "protect the rich". The police presence and appearance is something to be expected when filming right around the corner from the then prime minister's house. Moreover i would like to bring attention to the mistaken statement that public sector workers are were being fired, as there have been no redundancies in greece's public sector. Overal i am not sure if the bias was intentional or a result of the contacts used in greece but i have come to expect more from the 91ȱ

  • Comment number 20.

    To have a young bouncy girl talking about economic crisis and going "ooo" and "ahhh" about how terrible things are and "oh my God" here and "unbelievable" there really does not lend sobriety and gravitas to a very real and somber social problem. The presenter actually laughed when she was joining the protest and giggled with crack remarks. And we are told that the show is about her seeing how bad things are and how "totally, totally" she gets the horror of the situation, when she bounced off to the next scene and the continuing "o my God"s. I think when making a programme commenting on serious topics, even when reported from the viewpoint of a young person, due reverence is called for. Surely even 91ȱ 3 young audiences can appreciate the Greek problem is nothing to toss and joke about.

  • Comment number 21.

    Would be interested in knowing what 91ȱ3 recruitment criteria is! I think it is a shame that there are so many qualified and professional journalists willing and able to tackle demanding topics and do them justice, and yet 91ȱ3 in its wisdom shows this as presumably the best it can offer!

  • Comment number 22.

    my original post wasn't published...I'll try not to say anything too harsh now...

    Oh dear. I was really looking forward to seeing this documentary, it looked very interesting. I started watching it...and nooooo! It's presented by a silly sounding girl that i just can't take seriously. It's such a shame the 91ȱ is dumbing down so much. There are so many talented, educated and charismatic documentary presenters in the mould of say, a John Snow...why then is the 91ȱ using this girl to present such serious subject matter? Im sure she's a nice girl, but she shouldn't be presenting shows like this, her voice totally spoils the interesting subject matter. She totally undermines the whole show. I had to turn it off, such a shame.

  • Comment number 23.

    Well Done - am watching your report. Well done for highlighting this.

  • Comment number 24.

    Echoes of 1980's 'yoof' tv style. Lacks a coherent directoral overview. Patronises the viewer, the Greeks, and makes the chirpy young lady who is presenting look naive and ill-informed which she does not deserve. Simplistic sound-bites eg "rich people suck". This could and should have been a thought-provoking and well-observed documentary. It wasn't.

  • Comment number 25.

    I have just watched the documentary "Greece, Bust and Broken" with Stacey Dooley. It is a very naive way of looking at the Greek crisis. Unfortunately it is not well-prepared. Stacey Doley just wonders around without any plan unable to reveal anything interesting about the situation and the root of the problems in Greece. She constantly mourns about the cuts, like if Greece went to the drachma there would be no cuts. The cherry on the top is when Stacey goes out at the balcony of the hotel, she looks at the Parthenon and she says....."That is the ACROPALYPSE". A mix of Acropolis and Apocalypse. The one in Athens the other in Patmos....not so far anyway...at least both are related to the same country. Imagine making a documentary about Britain and calling the Big Ben as Big Bang. How credible this documentary would have been?

  • Comment number 26.

    Hello Stacey,

    I run a finance website called The Automatic Earth [Broken URL removed by Moderator] Feel free to Google my name if you would find out more about what I do. My writing partner and I have been following and interpreting the credit crunch since January 2008. We have been warning people that a liquidity crunch is coming, and that that means there will be no money in circulation. Financial crisis was centred in the US during phase I when the focus was the subprime crisis. It is centred in Europe during phase II. The single currency is dying. Greece is the canary in the coalmine. It starts there, but won't end there. What you found on your visit is going to spread around the world. If you would be interested in discussing the broader issues, and how Greece fits into the big picture, we can be reached at [Personal details removed by Moderator]

    Cheers,

    Nicole

  • Comment number 27.

    What is not commonly understood is that these economic woes are not the fault of any group, but due to the fact that the entire global monetary system has reached the end of its natural life - due to environmental factors coupled with advances in technology, which have rendered human labour obsolete. The collapse of the global Ponzi-scheme economy is a mathematical certainty. Irrespective of how innovative governments and business leaders are, they can only offer temporary patchwork fixes. The only possible solution is to make the global transition into a resource-based economic system. For further details, see www.thevenusproject.com.

  • Comment number 28.

    This programme was the worst, most uninformative piece of 'journalism' on this topic I have had the displeasure of watching. There seems to be no research or preparation of any kind. Stacey is one of the poorest interviewers on TV and fails to offer much more than tiery-eyed reactions and childlike descriptions of what we already see on camera. In addition to stumbling on to her television career she seems to continue on the course of stumbling her way through various parts around Greece. Most of programme time is wasted on what she sees, believes and imagines rather than really looking into the stories or people featured in the programme, resulting into trivializing and scandalizing this very important topic without offering any insight to any of the real issues or consequences. Unbelievable that this level of journalism could be on the 91ȱ. Students could have done a better job. The programme fails to give real background or credibility and in it's infantility is an insult to the very people battling with this crisis.

  • Comment number 29.

    To follow up also, I'm sorry but I don't think that the fact that this programme was on 91ȱ3 and aimed at a younger audience can be used as an excuse for this substandard level of programming, certainly there should be even more responsibility in providing informative and engaging programming to any age group, especially a young one? To paraphrase Stacey, I 'imagine' there are plenty of intelligent, inquisitive young Brits out there who would appreciate real dialogue and not being patronized and infantalized. This programme not only offers a biased, unfounded view of the crisis but also about the journalistic profession; that it is something someone can just stumble into and merely ramble about their feelings on any matter. This level of reporting should be kept to personal blogs and not broadcast on a publically funded tv channel.

  • Comment number 30.

    Brilliant series it's good to see what is really happening around the world.
    The whole problem stems from the fact that the world banking system is set up like a game of monopoly, one country borrows from another and slowly but surely the player numbers start to dwindle as they become bankrupt due to increased interest rates and repossessions, until the one winner remains, but as in life the true winner is the Bank because that is where the money came from and where it will always end up.
    Fortunately there is a solution for the problem it's called The Venus Project and is based in florida in the states. The answer to the problem is so simple it's genius. How do you tackle the problems of debt, poverty, rising unemployment? Simple... Eliminate money from the equation, I know it might sound a little mad but seriously think about it for a minute. Most jobs out there involve the exchange of money whether you work in the local store or on wall street, bringing more money in is normally the reason you were employed. Why do people work? People work so they can earn money which in turn ensures that they can be clothed, fed and housed with the odd luxury such as holidays. If you think about it there is no shortage of these products out there only a lack of funds to purchase such items. If money were taken from the equation all of these cash related jobs would be made redundant but this would not matter as goods are now freely available. Millions around the world could be saved from poverty and disease and be opened to a whole new life of education and safety. I will admit I am not the best writer and have tried to explain The Venus Project as best I can but please check out the numerous related videos on Youtube and help spread the word that there is a solution

  • Comment number 31.

    On this blog, richpg wrote "I do not see how this uneducated girl with little to no journalistic acumen is allowed to present her unresearched and simple views on the Greek economic crisis." Huonoa wrote "This programme was the worst, most uninformative piece of 'journalism' on this topic I have had the displeasure of watching."

    Stacey Dooley said about Greece, "The government was forced to slash spending, cut wages, and raise taxes", and "These austerity measures have pushed the Greeks to breaking point." Stacey is concerned about reduced spending by Greek people: "if everyone said 'well, We're not paying for this, not paying for that', where would the country end up?' ". Stacey's comments are consistent with the 'circular flow' theory, taught to every student studying economics at university. Stacey suggests Greek debt should be paid by rich tax-evaders, rather than by poor people losing their jobs; this is consistent with mainstream economic theory: the 'Marginal Propensity to Consume' is higher for poor people (who tend to spend a large fraction of their income), than for rich people (who tend to save more).

    Stacey calls her latest series of programmes 'Coming here soon', implying the UK will face economic problems: "It's a stark reminder of what could happen in Britain". David Cameron said in October 2010 "you have got to take Britain, as I think we have out of the danger zone of economies in Europe, I think George Osborne's Budget did that". Since 2010, the UK economy has been in recession. This UK decline is in sharp contrast to the USA, where President Obama is using Keynesian economic policies to help their economy recover. I've taught economics in UK universities for over 20 years; in my opinion, Stacey Dooley and President Obama are correct in advocating Keynesian economic policies, but David Cameron & George Osborne have failed to understand the basics of economics. Judge for yourself: if the UK economy continues to decline, it will be clear that Stacey is correct.

  • Comment number 32.

    I agree with Herbage, whom worded my thoughts very eloquently.
    I am disappointed to see that the report was slanted to the “how could they have done this to us” camp. The Greek people have done this to themselves! The Greek people are painted as victims of their government, but they voted for the government that made the choices that amounted this debt. The Greek people benefited from all the money spent by that government! Their present government are not villains but are trying to make the best of the situation, for the benefit of the Greek people. This is the story that needed to be told.
    There was no point in presenting this lecture to the Greek people. They are in no state to accept this lesson. This lesson, aired on the 91ȱ, should be for the people of Britain.
    This segment was an opportunity offer us an explanation on how to stop this from “coming here soon”. An opportunity to educate people here on why not to go for the easy option by voting for leaders who give the masses what they want now, with no thought to the debt the financial mess that has created.
    This is the 91ȱ, funded by our own taxes, not a private channel who need to tug on heart strings to attract viewers by telling them what they want to hear. This was an opportunity to tell the British people the hard truths about the consequences of living the ‘high life’ for too long backed up with graphic evidence of the situation in Greece and Ireland. Instead it was another sob story told from the perspective of a protected little girl, with no understanding of why this situation was created and how to stop this from “coming here soon”.
    I do not feel Stacey and the producers of this segment are educated and ‘worldly’ enough to present this type of report, which is a massive shame and a huge opportunity lost. Britain is all the poorer.

  • Comment number 33.

    I really enjoyed the program, I liked how stacey showed her emotions, not like most presenters. and she is so pretty too.

  • Comment number 34.

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  • Comment number 35.

    Fascinating program, in parts anyway. Would have been amazing if the 91ȱ could find a presenter who has a basic grasp of the English language and who could speak a whole sentence without dropping most of the Ts. Really, is this the calibre of person that I pay for with my TV tax?
    She didn't even touch on Irish bankruptcy rules! Are they the same as UK rules Stacey? No? Do yo think that makes a difference?
    And what was the point of interviewing a load of hippies who will probably never have a job or buy a home anyway (at least not until they grow up or inherit a few million from mater and pater).

  • Comment number 36.

    OK, so I cringe at Stacey's naivety and evident lack of comfort with people expressing their feelings. But I also think it's great that a non-expert is drawing attention to these critical issues. I've lived in Ireland and have two Irish sons. The devastation caused by the Celtic Tiger boom-bust is shocking. 2500 "ghost estates" is difficult to comprehend.

    I hope viewers (specially young viewers) will look deeper into the causes and not look away. Youtube videos such as "The Crisis of Civilization : Full Movie" and "97% Owned - Positive Money Cut" and books such as David Korten's "Agenda for a New Economy" and Riane Eisler's "The Real Wealth of Nations" are a good place to start.

  • Comment number 37.

    Why no program on Iceland ? Is the bbc in the bankers pocket? Iceland refused to bail out the bankers and are doing well. Is the Bbc promoting bankers propaganda ?

  • Comment number 38.

    Stacey and the producers of this show look for the worst case scenario in all programmes. They find the people who are in desperate situations and try to make out that this is the case with the entire population. Stacey should focus on her own countries problems rather than trying to make England look like the paradise it's not. This sceries does not show the real situation at all. This is trash journalism and the producers should be ashamed of themselves for the untruth this programme shows. This is a "programme" for the uneducated. Anybody who has lived in any of these countries knows that this is total trash TV. Wake up to the bull this series is spreading.

  • Comment number 39.

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