Introduction to Greek News Media
Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic of Greece is one among the few countries in the world that has a very active media & press that is greater in number when compared to a population of 11 million. The history of the print media in Greece hasn’t been colourful as one would imagine it to be. Rather it has a long history of being suppressed, censored & biased throughout the ages. Like every other country, the media scene of Greece was affected by its socio-political conditions and vice-versa.
The roots of representative democracy can be traced back to ancient Greece between 508 BC – 507 BC. But the clashes among the Greek states eventually led to their conquest by the Philip of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) and subsequent incorporation into the empires of Alexander the Great, Rome, Byzantium, and the Ottomans.
Press freedom was highly restricted or didn’t exist during these eras. Which makes it rather interesting to note that the Greek War of Independence waged against the Turkish rulers of the Ottoman Empire was fuelled by the newspapers. The expatriate newspapers published in Greek language and circulated in and around Vienna kept their culture alive and encouraged rebellion. This war for independence eventually led to the formation of modern Greece in 1821.
The years following 1821 saw clashes and major disagreement between the Greek politicians and failure to formulate a unified state of Greece. This led to the intervention of Great Britain, France, and Russia and subsequent imposing of a monarch over Greece. In 1932 a Bavarian prince, King Otto was chosen for the Greek people by them. The reign of King Otto saw centralization of authority in the capital of Athens. It was during this era the media became largely politically biased. The rule of King Otto continued until there was a military coup in 1844.
It was during the reign of King George I that began in 1864, Greek media began to serve as a platform for the citizens to regularly express their views in favour or against the ruling government. The Greek media played a crucial role in bringing about major political reform in 1874. According to which, the Greek prime minister was to be selected from the strongest party represented in Parliament. The Greek media during this era can be classified into two viz. the ones supporting the monarchy and the other wanting a republic.
The years following the assassination of King George I in 1913 saw the first World War. After which King Constantine I headed the monarch. The political rivalry that existed between the king and Eleutherios Venizelos (A famous Greek politician) was fuelled by the Venizelos press that claimed that King Constantine I was pro-German. The subsequent years saw the exile of King Constantine I and a never-ending tussle between the Royalists and republicans that largely polarized Greece. These years saw repressed human rights and complete suppression of the media.
It was during the reign of King Paul (1947-1964), democracy was restored after a very long time. And the Greek newspapers demanded greater freedom of expression, which the military and the central government were not always willing to tolerate. All these lasted only until the military coup of 1967. The years until 1975 saw a regime of propaganda and terror. Media were suppressed or closed down and the ones that remained were greatly censored.
The dust settled in 1975 with the formation of the Hellenic Republic and the adoption of a new Constitution. With the return of democracy and the adoption of the constitution which guaranteed freedom of press and right to express the newspapers in Greece began to increase rapidly.
At present, there are around 130 newspapers in Greece among which most of them are largely apolitical except for a very few newspapers. Similar to the countries across the globe, the circulation of newspapers in Greece is declining steadily owing to the digital revolution. It is estimated that almost 30% of the printed newspapers remain unsold.
Another interesting to note that there are around 600 newsagents and 500 sub-agencies in Greece supplying the print media. Which is way too higher than what is required when compared to the other European countries.
In this article, we have compiled a list of the important print & online media of Greece that is currently in circulation.
We have arranged the newspapers & news websites in the following order
A. Greek Newspapers
B. Greek Business Newspapers & News Websites
C. Greek Sports Newspapers & News Websites
D. Greek News Agencies
E. Greek Community Newspapers
Conclusion
A. Greek Newspapers
With the formulation of the Hellenic Republic of Greece in 1974 and the adoption of a constitution that guaranteed freedom of press and freedom of expression the number of newspapers rapidly increased in Greece. In this section, we will have a look at the major newspapers that are currently in circulation in Greece.
LiFo
LiFo is a free weekly magazine that is printed and published out of selected spots in Greece, namely Athens and Thessaloniki on Thursdays. The weekly was first launched in the year 2005 by the eminent journalist Stathis Tsagkarousianos and it first hit the newsstands on December of the same year. LiFo was initially founded as a free city guide magazine which over the years evolved to be a weekly press/city guide. LiFo is popular among its readers for the articles written by eminent journalists on the social-political scene of Greece, important matters concerning the city of Athens, Interviews, and so on.
Apart from the free weekly magazine, LiFo also has an online website that was launched in the year 2007. It is in fact, one of the famous content website in Greece owing to their unique way of reporting & the articles/blogs by proven bloggers. It is estimated that their website has more than 4.8 million unique visitors per month making it one among the top 5 popular websites in Greece. Unlike the print magazine, the online website covers news & reports on the current events in Greece.
Zougla
Zougla.gr is an online news portal owned by the Greek TV talk show Zougly, presented by the journalist Makis Triantafyllopoulos. Similar to the TV talk show, the website is dedicated to news, revelations, political scandals, and more. There are dedicated sections on the website for national news, international news, world economy, policy, lifestyle, automobiles, sports, health, science, travel & weather and a lot more interesting sections too. The entire content on the website including the image & videos is available free of cost to the visitors.
Makeleio
Makeleio is a popular online news portal in Greece covering all facets of national & international news. There are dedicated sections on the website for economic news, international news, automobile, politics and other infotainment section. Apart from being a news website, readers can also access the e-papers of various other newspapers from the official website of Makeleio. Other than the online website Makeleio has a strong presence on the social media platforms too.
Dikaologitika
Dikaologitika is an online news website in Greece owned by the OPINIONPOST SA newsgroup and covers the important national & international news around the clock. The website was first launched in the year 2012 and has over the years evolved to be one among the popular websites in Greece. It covers all facets of news including economy, politics, policies and other important categories. There are dedicated sections on the website for all the sections mentioned earlier. Dikaologitika is known among its readers for the quality of reporting & the principles of ethical journalisms they adhere to.
Apart from covering the important national & international news on the economy, politics, policies, health and many more, the website also offers reliable and valid information on benefits relating to all social and age groups.
Users can access the contents on the website including the photo & video gallery for free of cost as they please. Dikaologitika also has a strong online presence on various social media platforms such as Facebook & Twitter.
Iefimerida.gr
Iefimerida.gr is an online news website in Greek language & one among the popular websites in Greece. The website was founded in the year 2011 and quickly grew to becoming a popular news & opinion website in the Greek media scene. Iefimerida.gr is renowned for its fast-paced and objective style of reporting.
The website covers all facets of national & international news including policies, politics, economy, health, sports, science & technology, world, media, travel, and many more. There are dedicated sections on the website for the different sections of news. Apart from the different sections, there is a section on the website where important news of the day is updated in real time. Iefimerida.gr also has a strong social media presence apart from their online website.
Newsit
Newsit is a popular online news website in the Greek language that was first launched in the year 2013. The website covers all facets of news including both national & international significance. For instance, the website covers and has dedicated sections for world news, policies, economy, sports, lifestyle, technology, health, and many other important sections.
Gazetta.gr
Gazzetta.gr is an online sports news website in the Greek language, which was first launched on 4th June 2008. The website caters to its user’s real time updates of the various sporting events happening in and around Greece for free of cost. There are dedicated sections on the website for the updates on various sports. For instance, there are separate sections for football, basketball, volleyball, tennis and another section for the other famous sporting events.
Apart from the real time updates, the website also has interesting articles & editorials written by the eminent sports journalists. The entire content on the website including written, audio & video is available to the users free of cost. Apart from these, Gazzetta.gr also has a strong presence on the various social media platforms.
Kathimerini (Greek: ? ??????????)
Kathimerini is the oldest daily newspaper that is still in circulation in Greece. This newspaper was founded by Georgios Vlachos in the year 1919 and it first entered circulation the same year on September 15th. Ever since the newspaper was first published it has had a liberal-conservative stance. Apart from this, Georgios Vlachos and hence the newspaper too renowned for its strong stance against Eleftherios Venizelos (The leader of the Greek liberation movement).
Among the many things the newspaper is known for what sets Kathimerini apart is their verification & fact-checking standards. The newspaper has a legacy of being accountable to its readership and hence Kathimerini doesn’t compromise on checking the authenticity of the news they report. Which is why every article that is published in the newspaper goes through intense scrutiny by a team of editors & journalists. Apart from a daily newspaper in Greek, Kathimerini also publishes an English daily from Athens and is distributed along with the International New York Times in Greece and Cyprus.
The exact circulation of the Kathimerini newspaper is unknown as the publishing company has prohibited the press agencies from releasing such data. It is estimated that the Sunday edition of the newspaper has a circulation of 95,000 as of January 2014.
Along with a strong presence in the print media market of Greece, Kathimerini also has a strong online presence. The official online website of the newspaper has been ranked as the 81st most visited website in Greece. According to the data from third-party analysis tools, the Kathimerini’s website has around 3 million visitors per month. Similar to the print edition of the newspaper, the online website also caters to its users’ news related to politics, national & international affairs, economy, sports, and so on.
Ta Nea (Greek: ?? ???)
Ta Nea is one among the oldest daily newspapers that are still in circulation in Greece. The newspaper was founded in the year 1931 by the ‘Dimosiografikos Organismos Lampraki’ (DOL) media group and first hit the newsstands on 28th May 1931. When first launched in 1931 it was named Athinaika Nea and was later renamed to Ta Nea in 1945. Ta Nea since it first entered the market has had a centre-left political alignment and greatly supported the Greek Socialist Party, the PASOK.
For a long time in the history of Greece, Ta Nea had remained the most read newspaper in the country. The circulation of the newspaper had hit an all-time high of 200,000 copies in the 1990s. With the onset of the digital revolution and better internet facilities saw the readership of Ta Nea declining. By the end of 2008, its circulation had dropped to less than half of what it had during the peak. As per the latest readership survey, Ta Nea has a circulation of 35,000 copies.
Apart from Ta Nea, the DOL media group owned another newspaper named ‘To Vima’. The rapid drop in the circulation had effected To Vima too which eventually led the DOL media group into a financial crisis. In December 2016, for the first time since 1922, both the newspapers owned by DOL media group weren’t published due to the sheer financial crisis the company was in. Eventually, in May 2017, the indebted DOL media was sold to ‘Alter Ego’ for 22.89 million Euros.
To Vima (Greek: ?? ????)
To Vima is one of the oldest & influential newspapers in Greece. The newspaper first entered circulation in the year 1922 and was owned by the ‘Dimosiografikos Organismos Lampraki’ (DOL) media group. Apart from being the oldest newspaper, To Vima was also one among the most influential newspapers in Greece until 2011. The newspaper is known among its reader base for having eminent politicians such as Eleftherios Venizelos, Georgios Papandreou & Nikolaos Plastiras regular columnists.
As per the readership survey of the early 2000s, To Vima had a market share of 32.1% and was the second-highest newspaper in terms of circulation. But things started taking a U-Turn with the onset of the digital revolution that was fuelled by the internet. To Vima witnessed a rapid decline in their circulation which eventually led to a decrease in revenue from advertisements. By the end of 2017, the newspaper was on the verge of bankruptcy and was sold to to ‘Alter Ego’ for 22.89 million Euros. As per the readership survey of 2014, it was estimated that To Vima had a circulation of 114,035 copies.
Since 2017 the printed version of the daily newspaper has been withdrawn from circulation. It is now published as an online daily newspaper with the printed edition circulated only on Sundays. This Sunday’s print edition of the newspaper has been facing heavy competition from To Proto Thema, with a centre-left alignment & Kathimerini with a conservative alignment.
Since To-Vima first entered circulation it was known for being centre-left and their political alignment with the centrist wing of the Greek social-democratic party PASOK. It is important to note that some of the former editors & key position holders of To Vimo has occupied key positions in the party & some have occupied key ministerial positions with the PASOK.
I Avgi
I Avgi is a daily newspaper that first entered circulation in 1950 and is one of the oldest newspapers in Greece. Since it first entered circulation, I Avgi has had a left-wing political stance and is widely known as the morning newspaper of the left. Because of the alignment to the left-wing political parties, I Avgi was banned from publishing during the military dictatorship between 1967 to 1974.
With the formation of the Hellenic Republic of Greece, I Avgi became an official supporter of the United Democratic Left and the communist party of Greece. Currently, I Avgi functions as the official newspaper of the communist parties of Greece. As per the readership survey of 2016, I Avgi has a circulation of 1,150 copies.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, there is an online website that covers the same news as that of the print edition of the newspaper.
Proto Thema
Proto Thema is a weekly newspaper that is currently in circulation in Greece every Sunday. The newspaper was first founded in the year 2005 by Makis Triantafyllopoulos, Themos Anastasiadis, and Tassos Karamitsos. Proto Thema with an estimated circulation of 61,260 copies is one of the most read Sunday newspapers in Germany. Proto Thema since it first entered circulation has had a Liberal political orientation.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, it also has an online website that extensively covers topics related to finance, politics, national news, international news, culture, lifestyle and many more.
Rizospastis (Greek: ???????????, “The Radical”)
Rizospastis is the official newspaper of the communist party of Greece and first entered circulation in the year 1916. It is one of the oldest newspapers that are currently in circulation in Greece. The newspaper widely covers national & international news, politics, economy, sports, and so on.
Rizospastis (Greek: ???????????, “The Radical”) Online
Stochos
Stochos is a Greek national daily newspaper that was founded in the year 1985. The newspaper was founded by Georgios Kapsalis and hence had a highly nationalist conservative stance. Apart from the printed edition of the newspaper it also has an online website that covers news on national & international issues, politics, economy, and many more.
Eleutheros Kosmos
Eleutheros Kosmos is a Greek weekly newspaper which first entered circulation in the year 2003. The newspaper is owned by Dimitrios Zaphiropoulos and has an independent political stance.
Epirotikos Agon
Epirotikos Agon is one of the oldest newspapers in Greece that is still in circulation. This newspaper was first published in 1923 from Epirus under the name “Thunder”. In 1924 the newspaper was renamed to Ipirotiki Icho and again to Epirotikos Agon in 1927.
In the media history of Greece, the Epirotikos Agon is one among the very few newspapers that have been circulating without fail since the day it first entered the newsstand. The only exception being when Epirotikos Agon was forced to shut down for a period between `1973 & 1974 during the dictatorship of a far-right military Juntas. The newspaper is known among its readers for the brave stance it took against the military dictatorship between 1967 & 1974.
Symvoulos Epicheiriseon
Symvoulos Epicheiriseon is a weekly regional business newspaper published out of the Achaea regional unit in Greece. The newspaper was founded in the year 1987 and remained as a daily newspaper till 1994. By the end of 1994, the newspaper became a bi-weekly publication and by 2000 it became a weekly newspaper. Apart from covering the regional news, it also covers important national news & sports news too.
Symvoulos Epicheiriseon Online
Alithia
Alithia is a daily newspaper in the Greek language that is published and circulated in Cyprus. The newspaper with a circulation of 11,000 copies is one of the most read daily in that region. The paper first entered circulation as a weekly in the year 1880 making it the oldest newspaper in circulation in Cyprus. The newspaper became a daily in 1882. Alithia since entering circulation has had a Centre-right political alignment. As per the readership survey of 2014, Alithia has a circulation of 11,000 copies.
Dimokratiki
Dimokratiki is a regional newspaper that is based out of Rhodes, the largest Dodecanese islands in Greece. The newspaper was founded by Vassilis D. Athanasiou on 1982 and it first entered circulation the same year on September 12th. Dimokratiki is printed and circulated every day except on Mondays. Dimokratiki isn’t aligned to any specific political parties or political ideologies. The newspaper focuses on reporting important news and events concerning the Rhodes island and other important national and international events.
Being based out of Rhodes island, the newspaper is focused more on contributing to the economic development of the islands, especially in the field of tourism. Owing to this reason the newspaper has special pages almost every day to promote the tourism industry.
Nea Kriti
Nea Kriti is one of the leading online newspapers of the Island of Crete. This online newspaper was first launched in the year 2010 and has been since owned by the Crete TV group. New Kriti all facets of news including the major news concerning the island of Crete, important national & international news, economy, sports, weather and many more. There is also a dedicated section on the website for news concerning Crete.
Apart from covering major national & international news the website also contains articles & blogs written by eminent journalists on the major events happening around the world.
Styx
Styx is a weekly newspaper that’s published out of the northern Peloponnese region of Greece. It is a regional newspaper that was founded in the year 2004 with a primary focus on reporting the socio-political news concerning the Northern Peloponnese region.
Neoi Agones
Neoi Agones is a daily newspaper published out of Epirus. The newspaper mainly focuses on reporting the local news concerning Ioannina region and of Epirus. Apart from that the newspaper also covers other important national & international news.
Prin (Greek: ????)
Prin is a Greek weekly newspaper that is published out of Athens and circulated nationwide. This newspaper was first established in the year 1990 and it first hit the newsstands the same year on March 18th. Since it first entered circulation, the newspaper has had a far-left political alignment. As per the latest readership survey, Prin has a circulation of 1600 copies.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper it also has an online website. Unlike the print edition that is published weekly, the website is regularly updated with the latest news happening in and around Greece. Similar to the newspaper the website also covers national and international news, economy, sports and other interesting news.
Newsbomb.gr
Newsbomb.gr is a famous online news portal in Greece which was launched in the year 2014. The website has real time updates happening round the clock and visitors can choose to read reports in both English & Greek. Apart from that, the website has a dedicated section on the top of the home page where the important news of the day is chronologically listed out.
Newsbeat
Newsbeat is a popular online news website in the Greek language owned by the media holding company Prime Applications S.A. The website was first launched in the year 2010 and has grown over the years to become a top ranking news website in the Greek media scene. Newsbeat widely covers all facets of news including politics, economy, sports, environment, media, lifestyle, technology, car, health & culture. There are dedicated sections on the websites for these different categories of news.
Newsbeat is a free online news portal where users can access the entire website content including the image & video gallery for free. Apart from that, the website also provides its users with free other value-added services, such as real time stock exchange. Newsbeat also has a strong presence in various social media platforms.
PRO news
PRO news is a Greek online news portal which was founded by a team of journalists and it is one of the first online news portals in Greece. Apart from having a website, PRO news also has a strong social media presence. The news portal covers everything from important national & international news including politics, economy, sports and so on. Apart from these, there are dedicated sections on the websites for news related to Defence and security, science and technology, health, life-style and many others.
Newsbeast.gr
Newsbeast.gr is an online news portal in the Greek language which was first launched in 2010. The news portal extensively covers all facts of national & important international news. The website is regularly updated with important news of the day. Apart from that, there are dedicated sections on the website for national news, international news, sports, economy, science & technology, Automobiles, and so on.
Pentapostagma
Pentapostagma is a Greek online news portal owned by the Pentecost community of Greece. The website covers all facets of national & international news including politics, economy, health and so on. There are dedicated sections on the website for each category of news viz; national, world, economy, policy, and so on. The entire content on the website including the image & videos is available free of cost to the visitors.
The website is regularly updated with the important events that are happening in and around Greece and the readers are catered with real time updates of the same.
Cretalive.gr
Cretalive.gr is a famous Greek online news portal catering to the people living in the Crete region of Greece. The website was launched with a mission to deliver valid and authentic news to people living in and around Crete. Apart from covering the regional news, the website also covers important national & international news along with sports news. Creatilive also has a strong presence on social media.
New Post
New Post is an online news portal that was first launched on November 1st 2010. The online portal was founded by a group of Journalists who teamed up to create a portal where the public can be catered with authentic and unbiased reporting of News. New Post extensively covers on National & International news, politics, economy, business, sports, environment, world media, life style and many more. There are dedicated sections on the website for all the above said category of news.
Thestival.gr
Thestival.gr is a famous online news portal in Northern Greece launched by the Thestival media group in 2010. Within a short span of fewer than 2 months since it was launched, Thestival.gr became one among the most visited online news portals in Greece. The website mainly covers important national & international news, finance & economic news & sports news. That being said there are dedicated sections on the website for each of these categories of news. Apart from these the website also has sections for the environment, science and technology, and so on.
Other than being a popular online news portal, Thestival is also largely involved in the socio-political happenings in the Thessaloniki region. For instance, Thestival.gr is a constant supporter of social, cultural, scientific and sports activities taking place in Northern Greece. As per the data published by the Thestival media group, Thestival.gr has in excess of 30,00,000 visitors.
The Best
The best is an online news portal based out of Patras, Greece and is one of the largest regional online news portals in the whole of Greece. This online portal covers everything from national news, international news, economic news, political news, sports news any many more. The website is regularly updated by a team of journalists and has dedicated sections for news, sports updates, life-style, culture and many more. Apart from a strong online presence, The Best also has a strong presence on social media.
Rizopoulos Post (Greek: ???????????, “The Radical”)
Rizopoulos Post is an online news portal in the Greek language that covers national & international news, sports news, economic news and many more. Rizopoulos post is known among its reader base for the impressive editorial articles on their website. Every content including the photo & video is available to the customers free of cost.
Parapolitika.gr
Parapolitika.gr is an online news website that is operated by a team of journalists based out of Piraeus, Attica. The website covers national news, international news, economic news, political news, sports news, and many more. Apart from being an online news portal, Parapolitika also has an online FM that airs many infotainment programs. There are individual sections on the website for news on policies, regional news on Hellas, international news, Parapolitika TV, Automobile and many more.
ERT.gr
ERT.gr is an online news portal owned by the public sector and supervised by the Greek government. The company was initially founded in the year 1975 and the online website was launched in 2010. ERT.gr covers important national & international news apart from the regional news. The entire contents in the website including images & videos are made available to the visitors free of cost. Apart from covering the important national & international news, there is also a dedicated section for various infotainment news on the website.
Visitors of the website can also access the various radio stations & TV channels owned by ERT from their official website.
Flashnews.gr
Flashnews.gr is a Greek online news portal that was founded in the year 2009. This online news portal was founded with a focus on reporting news & updates concerning the island of Crete in Greece and to promote tourism, culture and entrepreneurship of the residents of Crete.
To Pontiki
To Pontiki is a Greek weekly newspaper that is published every Sunday. The newspaper is known among the readers for its centre left political stance. Though the printed edition is published weekly the online website of the newspaper is updated regularly. The online website of the newspaper covers National & international news, economic news, politics & sports.
I Imera
I Imera is a weekly newspaper that is based out of Patras in the Achaea regional unit in Greece. The newspaper was founded in the year 1994 and first hit the newsstands the same year on September 24th. I Imera is more like a weekly newspaper that focuses more on reporting the regional news concerning the Achaea region.
Athens Voice?
Athens Voice is a free weekly newspaper that is published and circulated every Thursday in Athens, Thessaloniki and 20 other major cities in Greece. The newspaper is owned by the Athens Voice media group and first entered circulation in the year 2003.
The printed edition of Athens Voice newspaper is known for bringing about a revolutionary change in the print media scene of Greece. They were successful in incorporating the validity and the stirring effect of a newspaper within the freshness & aesthetics of a magazine. Athens Voice is known in the media scene of Greece for their cover pages that are created by eminent artists from in and around Greece.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, Athens Voice also has an online news portal & a radio station. Their official website contains articles & opinions on the socio political affairs of Greece and dedicated sections for the various infotainment section such as fashion, travel, books, art, and many more.
It is estimated that the print edition of the newspaper has a circulation of 150,000 copies per week whereas their online website has around 2,5 million monthly unique visitors.
Ethnos
Ethnos is one of the oldest newspapers in Greece that first entered circulation on October 23rd 1913 and is currently owned by the Pegasus Publishing Group of Greece. Since it first entered circulation, the newspaper has had a centre & centre-left political stance. Apart from being one of the oldest newspapers, Ethnos was also the first newspaper in Greece to be printed in Tabloid format. As per the readership survey of 2016, Ethnos has a circulation of 9350 copies.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper Ethnos also has an online news portal which covers the national news & important international news similar to the print edition of the newspaper.
THETOC
Thetoc is an online news portal in Greece owned by the Attica Media Group. The website was first launched in the year 2014 and has over the years became one of the popular news websites in Greece. The website covers all facets of news including national & international news, policies, politics, economy and has dedicated sections for the same.
Apart from these, they also have dedicated sections for the various infotainment sections.
Hotdoc
Hotdoc is a Greek news magazine that is printed & circulated in Greece. This news magazine is owned by the Greek Journalist Kostas Vaxevanis and first entered circulation on 28th October 2012.
Eleftheria
Eleftheria is a daily newspaper in Greek that is printed and published out of Larissa. The newspaper was founded in the year 1922 and first entered circulation on 19th of October the same year. Eleftheria is focussed on reporting the regional news concerning Larissa & Thessaly and the other important national & international news.
Espresso
Espresso is a famous Greek lifestyle newspaper that is currently in circulation in Greece. This newspaper was founded in the year 2011 and hit the newsstands on 14th of November the same year. Espresso newspaper widely covers news on topics related to celebrities, fashion, beauty and other infotainment topics.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, Espresso also has an online news portal which is regularly updated round the clock. There are dedicated sections on the website for celebrity news, fashion, beauty, reporting, cover stories, signs and many more. The newspaper also has a strong presence on the various social media platforms!
E-Thessalia
e-Thessalia.gr an online news portal in the Greek language. The website covers all facets of national & important international news. There are dedicated sections on the website for local news, international news, economy, sports and other infotainment news.
Apart from the news on the portal, readers can also choose to read the e-newspapers if they choose to.
Makedonia
Makedonia is one among the oldest newspapers in Greece that are still in circulation. This newspaper was founded in the year 1911 by Konstantinos Vellidis and is currently owned by the company Makedoniki Ekdotiki. The newspaper has had a centre political stance since it first hit the newsstands in 1911. Makedonia covers all the national news & the important international news.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, Makedonia also has an online website that covers national & international news, news on economy & politics, sports and has dedicated sections for each of these categories of news. Other than these, the online website of Makedonia also has separate sections for infotainment news.
B. Greek Business newspapers & news websites
The GDP of Greece in the year 2019 was $52,247 million earning it the 33rd rank globally in terms of GDP. The economy of Greece is mainly depended on tourism, shipping, industrial products, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, mining and petroleum.
In this section, we have listed out the important business newspapers in Greece that is currently in circulation.
Naftemboriki
Naftemboriki is a financial daily newspaper and the first of its kind in Greece. The newspaper was founded by the brothers Panos & Giorgos Athanasiadis in the year 1924 making it the oldest financial daily that is still in circulation in Greece. At present, Naftemboriki is a widely read business paper in Greece.
Apart from the print edition of the newspaper that is circulated from Monday to Saturday, Naftemboriki also has a strong online presence. Naftemboriki was one among the very few who had actually foreseen the potential of the digital revolution and they launched their official website in 1996. It didn’t take Naftemboriki much longer to become a comprehensive news site with a very strong financial section. Eventually becoming the most read financial newspaper online.
Apart from having a strong financial section the online portal of Naftemboriki also covers important national & international news, specialized subjects such as Science & Technology, Environment, Health, and so on. The online website of Naftemboriki is known among its visitors for having the richest content in Market Data, featuring the fullest real-time financial database. It is estimated that the online website of Naftemboriki has a traffic of 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 visitors on an average.
Kerdos
Kerdos is a daily finance newspaper in Greek that is currently in circulation in Greece. The newspaper was established in the year 1985 and is the second famous finance newspaper only after Naftemboriki.
The print edition of the newspaper widely covers news related to Economy, Business, International markets, Politics, and so on. Apart from the finance segments Kerdos also covers topics related to sports & the important international events. Apart from the print edition of the newspaper, Kerdos also has an online webpage. Readers can access the contents on the website for free.
Businessnews.gr
Businessnews.gr is an online business news portal in Greece owned by the Direction Business Network group. This online news portal was launched in the year 2013 with a focus on being the reflection of the Greek market & to report the events happening in the Greek & international market with authenticity. The news portal is known amongst its reader base for the timely & reliable updates on the Greek market and as a reliable source to avail authentic information on the overall business scene both inside & outside Greece.
Apart from reporting the economical & financial happenings, business news is known for hosting interviews with senior management of companies on their activities. The website has dedicated sections for the updates and news on various businesses such as energy, technology, tourism, start-ups, and many more. Apart from these, there are other sections for news on the political economy, global market, rumours & whispers on companies, CEO insights, Automobile sector, headlines and a dedicated photo gallery.
C. Greek Sports Newspapers & News portals
In ancient times, Greeks were believed to people who understood the importance of having a healthy body. Which eventually led to sports being an integral part of the life of Greeks. There hasn’t been a major change from this mentality and sports still has importance in Greece.
There are some newspapers and online news portals in Greece that are solely focused on reporting news related to sports. In this section, we have compiled a list of the Greek sports newspapers & News portals.
Protathlitis
Protathlitis is a daily sports newspaper that is published & circulated in Greece. The newspaper was founded in the year 1988 and first entered circulation the same year on April 2nd. Protathlitis is a strong supporter of Olympiacos F.C and is known for being the first newspaper to publish news for Olympiacos F.C.
Apart from the printed edition of the newspaper, it also has an online website covering the same news. The website has dedicated sections for the latest sports news, football & basketball.
Sports24
Sports 24 is an online sports news portal that is owned by the 24media group. The website was launched in the year 2005 and it is currently the largest sports portal in Greece in terms of quality & reporting of news. Sports24 is known amongst its user base for the live reporting of the major sporting events, live blogs & match platforms and most importantly the write-ups by the expert columnists.
The website has dedicated section for football, basketball, other sports, and so on. Readers can also access the various sports magazines offered by sports24 for free from the website. Apart from these, users can also listen to live sports FM, access the video gallery, and many more from the website.
Sports.gr
Sports.gr is a Greek online sports news portal. The website covers news on all the sporting events that are happening inside Greece and the important sporting events happening across the globe. Sports.gr has a separate section for news on football, basketball, volleyball, polo, handball, tennis, racing & track events. Apart from these, important news is updated on the website round the clock and these are arranged in chronological order too.
Every content on the website including the image & video content is available to the users free of cost.
Contra
Contra is a Greek online sports news portal owned by the 24media group. It is one of the most visited sports news websites in Greece. This portal mainly covers news related to football, basketball and volleyball and there are dedicated sections on the website for these too. What distinguishes Contra from the other sports news websites is the interviews with the players & the free podcasts. Apart from having a strong online presence, Contra also has a strong social media presence.
Metro Sport
Metro Sport is a sports newspaper in Greek that is published and circulated around Greece. The newspaper mainly covers the major sporting events that are happening in Greece. Apart from the printed edition of the newspaper, it also has an online website that extensively covers the important sporting events in Greece.
The website has dedicated sections for updates on football, basketball, volleyball, the various leagues and events and many more. Other than these, there are articles & blogs on the major sporting events written by the eminent sports journalists in Greece. The entire content on the website, including the images & videos are made available to the readers for free.
D. Greek News Agencies
The history of news agencies in Greece dates back to the end of the 1890s and the subsequent events that unfolded. Athens news agency which is the first news agency to ever function in Greece was a private company that was subsidised by the Greek state in the 1900s.
In this section, we will have a look at the Athens News Agency which is the leading News agency in Greece.
Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA)
As mentioned in the previous section, Athens news agency is the first ever and the most popular news agency in Greece. The history of Athens News Agency traces back to The Stefanopoli Telegraphic Agency, which began its operations as a private entity in 1895. The government of Greece subsidized this company in 1996 and the name of the organization was changed to Athens News Agency. In the year 2006, the Athens News Agency and the Macedonian News Agency was merged to form the Athens-Macedonian News Agency.
As of 2020, Athens-Macedonian News Agency is headed by a 7-member director board out of which 3 are recommended by the government and the other 4 members are recommended by journalist unions of Athens and Thessaloniki, the publishers’ union and the ANA employees.
The Athens-Macedonian News Agency extends around 300 news publications in Geek and around 15 publications in English which are widely circulated in Greece. Apart from these, AMNA also produces news bulletins in English& French addressing all national & international news. AMNA has close ties & works closely with the international news agencies such as Reuters, Agence France-Presse, DPA, ITAR-TASS and several other national news agencies, as well as the EPA photograph agency.
Athens-Macedonian News Agency Online
Athens-Macedonian News Agency Android App
Athens-Macedonian News Agency iOS App
E. Greek Community Newspapers
The following are the list of the important Greek Community Newspaper that are currently in circulation.
The National Herald
The National Herald is an English weekly newspaper that is published and circulated in the USA. This newspaper was founded in the year 1997 as a sister publication of the Ethnikos Kyrix, in response to the growing demand of the Greek population in the USA. The newspaper is focused on reporting news concerning the Greek-American community and Hellenic Diaspora as well as in Greece & Cyprus. Over the years National Herald has grown to be a leading English newspaper among the Greeks in North America.
The national Herald also launched its website in the year 2004 which has become popular among the Greek community in America. Unlike the weekly newspaper, the website is regularly updated round the clock with important updates & news. Apart from these, the website also has dedicated sections for infotainment news.
Enikos.gr
Enikos.gr is a Greek online newspaper headquartered at Athens, Greece. The website covers all facets for news from the different regions of Greece & the important international news too. There are dedicated sections on the website for sports news, news on the economy, society, lifestyle, media, policy and other infotainment news. An important section that distinguished Enikos.gr from its competitors is the section called “My Blogs”. This section contains articles written by the eminent journalist Nikos Hatzinikolaou’s on the important events that are happening in Greece and across the world.
Nova Sports
Novasports.gr is the official online website of the premium sports news network owned by the Forthnet Group of Greece. Similar to the television channel, its official online website Novassports.gr also covers most major national and international sports including first division soccer, the top leagues in Europe and around the world. Apart from covering the major sporting events across the globe, Novasports.gr also provides the readers with real time updates on these sports.
There are dedicated sections on the website for Football, Basketball & other sports. Other than these there is a section named “The experts” where there are articles written on the important sporting events & concerned matters by eminent sports journalists in Greece.
Athinorama
Athinorama, unlike its counterparts, is an entertainment guide for the city of Athens since 1976. The online website of Athinorma, which was launched in 1996 gives the visitor a complete guide to the various events that are happening in the different regions of Greece. There are dedicated sections on the website for cinema, theatre, music, restaurants, bars, clubs, nightlife, city vibe, shopping and many more. Apart from the online website, they also have other publications viz;
- Alpha Guide: A guide to the hotels & restaurants in Greece
- Wine guide- A yearly guide on the vineyards of Greece
Athinorama apart from being a reliable source of information & guide is also known for the awards they give. Among them, “Golden Chef Hat” given to the best restaurants of Greece & “Theatrical Audience Awards” given to the best theatrical play are the prominent ones.
Protagon.gr
Protagon.gr is a Greek news website co-founded by the eminent journalist Stavros Theodorakis in the year 2010. The website has had a liberal political stance since it was first launched in the year 2010. Potagon.gr has well written articles & opinions on the various events that are happening in and around Greece. Some of the major events they cover include health, politics, economy, national & international news, infotainment sections such as automobile, health, car, lifestyle travel, and so on.
The website also has a dedicated section for an image & video gallery which the readers can access for free.
Katohika
Katohika is a Greek online blog news site that was launched in 2010 after the assassination of Golias, who was a blog reporter and the owner of the Troktiko blog (A leading news website in Greece during 2010). Katohika has well written blogs & articles on the important events that are happening in and around Greece. Some of the topics they cover include national & international news, economy, health, Conspiracies, Illuminati, globalization, self-knowledge and many more.
Gavros.gr
Gavros.gr is a Greek sports news website that covers all facets of sports news from in and around Greece. There are dedicated sections on the website for news on football, basketball, handball, volleyball, polo, betting and other important sports news.
Conclusion
Similar to the other countries across the globe where the print media is on the decline owing to the digital revolution, the mass media sector in Greece to have taken a bad hit. Among the many, the print media sector in Greek is the most affected. As per the data released by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, there has been a 75% drop in the circulation of all Sunday newspapers in Greece when compared to their circulation 10 years ago. Though the major share of the reasons for this drastic drop can be attributed to the digital revolution, there are other reasons too.
The growth of media industry in Greek has been in parallel with the grown of political parties & their ideologies. When compared to the other countries in the world, modernisation of press happened relatively late in Greece, it began only after Greece won independence. The media scene in Greece began to shift after the modernisation and the entry of private parties into the media sector.
Since a long time, the media industry in Greece has been known for excess in supply over demand. For a country with 11 billion populations, there are around 200 newspapers in the market. This is apart from the online papers & news portals. Similar to this there is also excess in the number of news channels, radio stations and magazines. This sheer excess over demand has made these media fight among themselves for audience & advertisements for revenues.
This looming crisis isn’t just the case of print media; it has been the same for the online media too. Similar to the print media, the online media scene is highly congested & disrupted. It is rather interesting to note that the Geeks have begun to rely more on the non-traditional brands unlike users in most other European countries. The reason for this can be attributed to lack of trust in these traditional brands because of the existing political polarization of newspapers which worsened after the financial crisis of 2009.
Being a congested market, the online newspapers & news portals of Greece too had to resort to reporting hoax news, click baits & social media distribution. Spreading Hoax news & raising baseless allegations against the functioning governments has become a common phenomenon in the Greek media industry. In an attempt to control the chaotic media scene, the government has launched a register for online media. Only the approved media from this list will be eligible for state advertising.
Despite the drastic drop in circulation and share of the audience, three new national dailies viz; Nea Selida, Ethnos (A legacy newspaper that was relaunched) and Fileleutheros were launched in 2019. Similarly, eight national daily sports newspapers and two news-related radio stations too were launched in recent years.