Following the completion of the open call for journalists working in the local press across Greece, we are pleased to announce the selected participants for this year’s Incubator cycle, as evaluated by the independent assessment committee.
The project was addressed to groups of professional journalists (employed or freelance) working in different local media across Greece. Each project had to involve the collaboration of at least two journalists from different cities, regions or prefectures and aimed at publishing in at least two local media outlets.
Five proposals were submitted by 11 journalists who had secured publication intentions from 8 local media, which highlighted the importance of local journalism and the need to place greater emphasis on issues of concern to local communities.
After careful review by an independent assessment committee, the following projects have been selected for participation:
*in alphabetical order
Format: Short journalistic video
Pavlos Maragkos (Xanthi)
Eleni Papastergiou (Thessaloniki)
Thenia Vasileiadou (Kozani)
Format: Text
Sofia Christoforidou (Thessaloniki)
George Tsantikos (Ioannina)
Format: Short journalistic video
Vasilis Alexiou (Trikala)
Sokratis Moutidis (Kozani)
Paraskevas Perakis (Chania)
ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
*in alphabetical order
Daniel Howden: Managing Director, Lighthouse Reports
Daniel is a seasoned journalist and Managing Director of Lighthouse Reports, an award-winning non-profit focused on corruption, conflict and migration. He has been a correspondent for The Economist, The Guardian and The Independent. He is a migration expert, Visiting Fellow at Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre and Senior Editor at Refugees Deeply. He has twice been awarded the Migration Media Award, a special mention at the inaugural True Stories Award ceremony and was a finalist in the Online Journalism Awards.
Giannis Kalaitzakis: Journalist
Giannis is a journalist and editor of the newspaper KRITIKI EPITHEORISI in Rethymno, Crete. He is also the owner and manager of the information portal GOODNET and the radio station TEAM FM 102, where he hosts a daily radio show.
Ioanna Kostarella: Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism and Media of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Ioanna is Associate Professor at the Department of Journalism and Media. She is the scientific coordinator of the SHAZAAM project on Generation Z and media literacy, while she coordinated the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki team for the COPE project on the coverage of the European Cohesion Policy by journalism students.
Her work has been published in prestigious journals (Journalism, Digital Journalism), conference proceedings and edited volumes.
She speaks English, German and Italian and her research interests include the relationship between journalism and AI, journalism for Development and Social Change, local press, and framing environmental and sustainability issues.
Katerina Tassopoulou: Journalist
Katerina is a professional journalist since 1993, member of the Union of Editors of Thessaly, Central Greece and Evia. She works at GEGONOTA.NEWS and for 22 years she worked at the newspaper “Thessalia”. She has been honoured with the “Botsis Award” in 2017.
Penelope Thomaidi: Photographer
Penelope is a documentary photographer with a degree in fine arts, experience in graphic design, a passion for research and an active role in curatorial and educational initiatives.
Exploring environmental issues – often focusing on stories with a particular relation to memory, self-determination and resistance – her work has been presented internationally, including at Helsinki Photo Festival, FIF Belo Horizonte, Photo Doc Fair in Paris, Athens Photo Festival, Thessaloniki Photobiennale. Her work Under Pressure has received support from the iMEdD Incubator and a special mention at the Urbanautica Awards 2020.
She collaborates with media outlets such as GEO France, Marie Claire, La Tribune de Genève, Mediapart and De Standaard. She holds a master’s degree in artistic production and research (Universitat de Barcelona), is a graduate of the “Creative Documentary and Photojournalism” program at Speos X Magnum Photos in Paris, a member of the Hans Lucas agency and the organizing team of the MedPhoto Festival. In 2024, she was the main exhibition designer of the Athens Photo Festival.
The Incubator program seeks to foster collaboration between journalists from different local media outlets, ensuring broader dissemination of their work and strengthening investigative journalism across the country.
The programme includes:
- Coverage of research costs: travel, accommodation, food, etc.
- Production support through iMEdD’s network of partners (photographers, sound engineers, videographers, editors, graphic artists) according to the needs expressed in the application.
- Possibility of synergy with the iMEdD Data Unit for data gathering/analysis/visualization if required by the topic.
- Mentoring from the international network of iMEdD partners.
Selected teams will have two months to complete their projects, in accordance with the proposed timeline, with progress monitored at key evaluation points by the iMEdD project manager.
We thank all participants for their submissions and look forward to seeing the impactful stories that will emerge from this cycle.
Stay tuned for updates on the progress of these projects!
