Kathimerini, New York Times celebrate enduring partnership of 25 years
Over the past 25 years, journalism has undergone profound transformations. Traditional media has grappled with the rise of digital platforms, recognizing that readers now turn to Google or Facebook rather than the pages of newspapers for news. Many long-standing print publications have vanished, while others persist with resilience, facing the future with optimism. Notably, Kathimerini, which celebrates its 105th anniversary in 2024, stands among those enduring publications.
In a splendid event hosted at the enchanting Petrini Warehouse in the port of Piraeus on Monday evening, Kathimerini commemorated its 25-year collaboration with The New York Times for its English-language edition. The event was graced by the presence of former prime ministers Antonis Samaras and Panagiotis Pikrammenos, ministers of Defense Nikos Dendias, Health Michalis Chrysochoidis, Migration Dimitris Keridis and Shipping Christos Stylianides, Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras, as well as leaders of opposition parties, foreign diplomats, representatives of institutions, business figures, and literary and artistic luminaries.
This iconic collaboration, initiated in 1998, originated from the vision of the late Kathimerini owner Aristides Alafouzos, a publisher with a profound patriotic conscience and a sense of cosmopolitanism. Alafouzos believed that a robust Greek newspaper should serve as a window on the world, providing Greek readers with reliable information about global events and introducing readers worldwide to Greek affairs. The collaboration, which initially commenced with the International Herald Tribune, exemplifies shared values and a commitment to robust and quality journalism, which is indispensable for democracy.
This point was emphatically underscored by Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, the president, international of The New York Times Company, who took the stage after Tom Ellis, editor in chief of Kathimerini English Edition, welcomed the participants and noted that he and the paper’s staff take very seriously the fact that, as shown by data, they are a main source of information on developments in Greece, Cyprus and even the wider region. “Both our print and digital editions act as, I dare say, Greece’s window to the world,” he said.
Dunbar-Johson began by saying that “in 1998, the same year we founded the partnership here in Athens… Google was born. A fundamental, world-warping transformation of the news business had begun. Some six years later, Facebook was launched. Three years later, Apple launched the first iPhone, and a further three years later, after that launch, the iPad was born. All to say, whilst these changes radically changed the way that we exchange and receive information, they have also placed enormous strain on the business models that support journalism.” He added that “more than half of journalism jobs have been lost since the beginning of this century. And the numbers unfortunately are similar here in Europe.”
He emphasized that traditional journalism now had to contend with news platforms that capture audiences through conspiracy theories and clickbait, resulting in the loss of the relationship of trust between journalists and readers.
‘Where you have a free press, you have the reliable flow of trustworthy information necessary for representative democracy’
Simultaneously, Dunbar-Johnson pointed out that this shift led authoritarian and populist leaders to launch attacks on the freedom of the press and its practitioners. “In liberal democracies today, we cannot take the protection of free speech and a free, independent media for granted. We perhaps need to do a better job of explaining why it’s so important to protect the societies and freedoms we cherish. Where you have a free press, you have the reliable flow of trustworthy information necessary for representative democracy,” he said.
Dunbar-Johnson acknowledged individuals present who played pivotal roles in establishing the collaboration between the NYT and Kathimerini, such as Martha Dertili, Achilles Tsaltas, Eleni Konstantopoulou, Nikos Konstandaras and Alexis Papachelas.
Taking the floor, Papachelas spoke with pride about the resilience of the partnership, grounded in the idea of independent journalism, primarily owed to the contribution of all the staff at Kathimerini, which has faced incredible challenges in recent years.
The pivotal moment of the evening, however, was the discussion featuring Papachelas, Peter Eleftherios Baker – an American journalist of Greek descent, author, and the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times – and his wife Susan Glasser, the renowned columnist behind “Letter from Biden’s Washington” in The New Yorker. The couple, authors of several best-selling books, engaged with the executive director of Kathimerini on a range of pressing issues, predominantly centered on the war in Ukraine, potential US fatigue in dealing with it, conflicts in the Middle East, and, notably, the looming American elections that could see the return of Donald Trump to the presidency.
Glasser, addressing the Ukrainian situation, drew connections between US assistance to Ukraine and the dynamics within the Republican Party. She underscored Trump’s lack of strong support for Ukraine, noting that he had, prior to the invasion, told the then Ukrainian president that he did not lead a real country. Another significant challenge highlighted was the relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Biden, juxtaposed with American support for Israel. Glasser mentioned the substantial polarization within American universities on this issue, drawing from the experiences of their own son, a college student.
The latter part of the discussion delved into the potential victory of the Republicans and Trump – a scenario both Americans deemed highly probable. Glasser depicted a deeply divided country, emphasizing the continued support for Trump among those who condoned the disruptive Capitol invasion by his supporters. The current president faces the added challenge of his advanced age, a factor weighing heavily on the prospects of a second term. While Biden remains confident in his ability to defeat Trump again, polls reflect concerns among Democratic supporters about evolving developments in the political landscape.
News from Iowa, the first state to choose a candidate, suggests strong support for Trump, according to Glasser. Both she and Baker have openly expressed their apprehension about the authoritarian tendencies associated with the former American president potentially returning to power. They highlighted the escalation in his demagogic rhetoric, which could lead to perilous outcomes, such as a threatened US withdrawal from NATO if re-elected or a tepid response from the Alliance if, for instance, Estonia is attacked by Russia. “It’s an election in which the world has a very, very big stake, that it’s not just about what’s happening inside the United States, but it’s going to have enormous repercussions here in Greece and throughout Europe,” Glasser concluded, with the two American journalists expressing the belief that Trump could reclaim power, though acknowledging the unpredictable nature of politics as “a business of surprises.”
