The 2023 - 2024 Programme Focus

The training program offered practical insights into journalism from a European newsroom perspective, providing participants with useful tips and knowledge essential for navigating the dynamic landscape of journalism. This exploration extended to critical issues facing the media landscape, encompassing topics like fake news, cross-facts, misinformation, and journalism ethics. In-depth discussions covered digital journalism, institutional communication, and the development of regulatory frameworks, with a particular emphasis on the transformative power of digital transformation and evolving business models in the media sector.

The holistic approach of the program included a session dedicated to linking national and local dimensions, emphasizing the importance of context and scale in effective writing. Participants further delved into the socio-political landscape of Greece, understanding the media’s role in the upcoming European Elections in 2024, gaining insights into institutional campaigning, multimedia content, and tools provided by the European Parliament. This comprehensive training culminated in the practical application of their knowledge through stories towards a Media Observatory for the 2024 European Elections in Greece.

Reports

Speakers

The European Parliament Training Programme for Young European Journalists speakers  brought a wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives to the event. Distinguished journalists shared experiences and insights, offering firsthand insights to the dynamic world of media. Moreover, the program featured prominent policymakers,  academics and experts in law, political sciences, digital communication and media. Their knowledge and expertise contributed to an engaging and informative experience, offering participants a comprehensive understanding of European affairs and journalism.

Meet the speakers of the first day

Dimitris Papadimoulis is the Vice-President of the European Parliament, MEP of Τhe Left. His first term in the European Parliament was in 2004–2009, while from 2009 to 2012 he was a member of the Greek Parliament. He was re-elected MEP in 2014 and was then unanimously elected head of the SYRIZA delegation. From 2014 to today, he is the only Greek and the only member from The Left, in the Bureau of the European Parliament.

Costas Arvanitis has been a Member of the European Parliament for SYRIZA since July 2019 and is a member of the Left Group in the European Parliament. Playing a pivotal role as the editor-in-chief, he contributed to the establishment of the first intermunicipal news agency, “AKIMME.” He has a rich background in various broadcasting media and maintained a daily presence on Greek television with news broadcasts until 2019.

Nikos Papandreou has taught economics at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Administration at Princeton University and the National School of Public Administration. He has also worked at the World Bank, specializing and in the field of Renewable Energy and Environmental Services. He has written articles both in Greece and abroad, and he is the author of ten books and a film. Since May 2023, he has been serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Constantinos Tsoutsoplides is the Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Greece. He was the Spokesperson of the EPLO in Greece since 2011 and the Coordinator of the EP institutional campaign for the May 2019 European Elections. He has served in different positions at national and European level. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Reading, UK.

Despina Syrri is the Director of Symbiosis – Council of Europe School of Political Studies in Greece. She served as an Education Specialist in UNICEF’s Refugee and Migration Response Mission in Greece. She worked in Sarajevo and Belgrade as a Policy Advisor for the Regional Cooperation Council. She has collaborated with OSCE/ODHIR, Council of Europe, and EU Fundamental Rights Agency. She has published journal articles and book chapters in Greek, South Slavic and English, and authored research papers and documentaries.

Dimitris Xenakis has been involved in shaping digital strategies for SMEs since 1994, specializing in the development of applications and services in digital media. He has held key management positions in some of Greece’s most prominent media organizations. In 2016, alongside Tatiana Karapanagioti and an outstanding team of collaborators, he successfully launched ‘inside story,’ an innovative subscription-based platform focused on investigative and explanatory journalism.

Ioannis Papageorgiou is a professor and head of the Department of Political Sciences at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He specializes in European policies and institutions and comparative politics. His research interests include European political integration, migration policies, and international humanitarian and refugee law.

Andreas Takis is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Methodology of Law at the Faculty of Law of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has served as the First Secretary General of Immigration Policy at the Ministry of Interior and as the Assistant Ombudsman, responsible for the Human Rights Circle.

Elisa Triantafyllou is a journalist. She commenced her career as a financial editor at Kyriakati Eleftherotypia in 2004. In 2010, she established the initial version of the American satirical site The Onion in Greece. Elisa continues to contribute to the online media industry and is presently employed by the independent investigative website Inside Story.

Meet the speaker of the second day

Kaki Bali studied mathematics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and journalism in Germany. She worked as a political and economic editor at Deutsche Welle and ZDF in the 1990s and at the German TV station Angeloforos until 2011. Since 1992, she has been writing for Avgi, and since 2012, for Egnatiapost.gr. She also collaborates with German and Swiss media.

Tasos Telloglou studied law at the University of Athens. In 1986, he began his career at the newspaper “I Proti,” and by 1989, he became a part of the editorial team at “Kathimerini” while simultaneously joining the political department of Mega Channel. He has filmed and presented over 250 long-form reports on television and participated in numerous television shows. He has been honored with the Persona Award eight times for his work in television and the Botsi Prize.

Ioannis Palaeologos is a journalist for Inside Story and Kathimerini. Over the course of his career, he has served as the editor-in-chief of special editions, research editor, editor-in-chief of opinion articles, and Brussels correspondent for Kathimerini. He has also collaborated with SKAI TV and radio, and contributed to international outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, Time, Politico, Politico Europe, and the New Republic.

Vassilis Dalianis completed his studies in History and Philosophy of Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Since 2009, he has been actively involved in journalism, working for the newspaper “Proto Thema.” Simultaneously, he has collaborated with the Cyprus television network Capital TV and contributed to French and German media. His coverage has spanned various crises, including the Greek crisis, the Eurozone crisis, and the migration crisis, among others. Without fail, he has reported from Brussels, Strasbourg, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and The Hague.

Yavuz Baydar, Editor-in-Chief of Ahval, co-founded the independent media platform P24 in 2013 to monitor Turkey’s media sector. His opinion articles have been featured in global outlets such as the Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and New York Times. Baydar served as Turkey’s first news ombudsman and was the president of the International Organization of News Ombudsmen (ONO) in 2003. He has received awards for excellence in journalism and human rights.

Ljubisa Vrencev, since 1997, has been working with national and international NGOs on local development, communication, media, reconciliation, and forced displacement issues throughout Southeast Europe. He has been the Country Director of Arbeiter Samariter Bund and also served as a consultant for UNOPS, UNDP, Cooperazione Italiana, and the International Organization for Migration, focusing on the development of sustainable return policies. He has been a lecturer on diversity and communication for migrant communities and authored papers on development and migration issues.

Nikos Efstathiou studied political science and philosophy at Yale University and obtained his master’s degree from Columbia’s School of International Relations, specializing in technology, media, and communication. Having lived in New York and Istanbul, he returned to Greece in 2017 to work in the print and electronic press.

Betty Tsakarestou, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication, Media, and Culture at Panteion University. She is the co-founder of the multimedia city public diplomacy platform “Connecting Cities.” Her research and teaching concentrate on advertising and public relations, with a specific emphasis on social media/mobile communication, city branding, and co-creation.

Katerina Lombardea has been the Editor-in-chief of Inside Story since its launch in 2016. Prior to that, she worked in television as a journalist on investigative shows such as Fakeloi and Neoi Fakeloi, at Mega TV and SKAI. Holding degrees in History and European Studies, she also possesses a more recent tour guide license, which she envisions putting to good use one day.

Meet the speakers of the third day

Michalis Goudis studied Journalism & Mass Media at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. After completing his studies, he worked as a journalist for magazines, websites, and as a radio producer. He collaborated with various Greek and European media. He lived and worked in Brussels for 7 years, initially at the European Parliament’s Press Office and later as a Communications Officer for Housing Europe. Since the summer of 2020, he has been the head of the Greek office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Mahi Nicolara has been working at ERT since 1993 and has collaborated with newspapers, radio stations, and digital media. She holds the position of the elected Special Affairs Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Athens Daily Newspaper Editors’ Union (ESIEA) and serves as the President of the Collective Copyright Management Organization of Journalists (XENOPHON).

Philippos Kamaris

Anna Efstathiou followed a professional path with interesting shifts and stops in different countries and fields. Since 2013, she has been in Greece, where, after seven years as Press Officer and Digital Leader at the Representation of the European Commission in Greece, since 2020 she is a Press Officer at the Office of the European Parliament in Greece.

Elvira Forte has been a Press Officer at the European Parliament Office in Greece since 2018. She studied Journalism at Aristotle University and has worked in Thessaloniki and Athens as a journalist, translator, Production Assistant, and Production Manager in TV entertainment shows. Based in Athens, often travels to Strasbourg, Brussels, and across Greece, wherever Europe requires so.

John Papageorgiou is an EU affairs reporter with over 20 years of experience in the media. He has been hosting his own radio show for several radio stations in Greece since 1992. He currently hosts a morning show for the municipal radio of Athens. He is the founder and head of “Athens Digest” and General Director of the Regional Policy Monitor, a recently founded Observatory in Greece. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy.

Valia Kaimaki is a journalist, Assistant Professor at the Department of Digital Media and Communication of the Ionian University. Director of the Greek edition of Le Monde diplomatique, she has worked in the press, radio, and television. She is also Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Maastricht-based European Journalism Centre (EJC).

Stavros Samouilidis holds a position in the Public Relations Department of the European Parliament, where he is responsible for the digital media of the Greek Office. He has previously worked as a journalist for SKAI radio and television, the ANT1 group, the pan-European network Euranet, Belgian state television, and other foreign networks. Additionally, he has served as a presenter and documentary producer. He pursued his studies in journalism at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Brussels and international relations at University College London in London.

Participants

Comprised of a diverse cohort of professionals, the participants in the European Parliament Training Programme for Young European Journalists formed a dynamic ensemble, from print media, TV, radio and online platforms. This inclusive group encompassed content creators and data specialists, fostering a collaborative learning environment given their varied backgrounds. Engaging in informative sessions, participants gained valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within European and Greek journalism. Discussions created a vibrant space for the exchange of ideas, reflecting the multifaceted nature of contemporary media.

Meet the participants of the training

Stavroula Ageladaraki has studies in Informatics and Mass Media Studies. Actively engaged in journalism since 2016, she began her internship at “Radio Evros” and radioevros.gr, the oldest radio station in Northern Evros, where she is currently employed. Her work primarily focuses on local news, with daily contributions to radioevros.gr, as well as hosting her daily radio show and presenting the station’s news report. In her leisure time, her interests include local history, culture, cinema, and theater.

Ismene Balale is a journalist at Voria.gr with three years of experience in education, freelance, and social reporting. She completed her internship at the newspaper Macedonia. Currently, Ismeni is a postgraduate student in the interdepartmental program Information and Communication Technologies – Law and Politics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Dimitris Eleftheriadis is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also runs an online platform called “Thinking Abyss” where a 60+ member team creates multimedia content on a variety of subjects. He has experimented with writing articles, interviewing, and video editing. Political communication, cinematography, and social psychology are his favorite fields. Currently, he’s invested in the art of non-fiction storytelling and investigative methods, working on a documentary discussing journalism ethics in Greece.

Vangelis Iliakis is a graduate of the Department of Media, Communication, and Culture at Panteion University. He gained hands-on experience as a production assistant during his internship at Laika Productions, contributing to the documentary series ‘Kleinon Asty – Istories tis polis’ on ERT. Currently, he serves as a journalist and social media operator at insidestory.gr.

Athanasios Katsikidis is a columnist with a specialization in conducting interviews with high-profile personalities. He serves as a freelance columnist for Kathimerini Newspaper and “K” magazine, in addition to contributing as a columnist to the website Politically Incorrect (Incorrect.gr). In 2022, he was a correspondent for Kathimerini Newspaper in Israel. Furthermore, his writings have been featured in ESTIA Newspaper, and some of his work has been translated into eight languages.

Virginia Kibouropoulou has graduated from the Department of Communication and Media of NKUA. She has worked for the last two years in the industry, mainly in business matters related to nutrition, food, and culture. Ever since she was a child, what she wanted the most was to have the opportunity to engage in objective and true investigative journalism.

Anna Lampropoulou is currently working as a Communications Strategist & Researcher for EU projects. In her earlier career steps, she served as a journalist and researcher across various Greek and international organisations. She is a certified Risk Management Professional, holds a Master’s in Risk Communication and Crisis Journalism, and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. Her professional pursuits center around investigating journalism, research, and international affairs.

Nikos Lourdas is a journalist and has been working since 2021 at SKAI TV. He has also previously been an editor as well as a radio producer. He likes to travel a lot, and in his free time, he mainly watches sports events.

Eleftheria Marmara is a writer and content creator for the online platform Thinking Abyss. She has completed studies in Political Science, and her postgraduate studies focus on Contemporary European Studies and Political Communication. Her research interests revolve around gender issues and the establishment of gender equality.

Alexandros Memos works as a journalist at ERT. For the past 2.5 years, he has been delivering live reports for the channel’s news and information broadcasts. He is a graduate of the Department of Communication and Media at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Eleni Moschou is a journalist with studies in social sciences and expertise in the analysis and interpretation of social phenomena and behavior. She describes herself as a versatile individual with a strong interest in storytelling, digital innovation, and foreign languages. She approaches events from a sociological perspective, consistently seeking to uncover root causes and identify new opportunities for growth and connection.

From a young age, Angelos Paliakoudis said he wanted to become a journalist, yet he studied at the Department of Language, Literature, and Culture at the Democritus University of Thrace. He found himself when he started an MA in European Journalism at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Now a full-time fact-checker and hobbyist English football writer.

Marianthi Pelekanaki is a graduate of International, European & Economic Studies from the University of Piraeus and holds an MSc in Energy: Strategy, Law & Economics. Currently, she is employed in the communication and media sector, working as a journalist at the European website Euractiv and serving as the Assistant Communication Officer at the European Publishing and Consulting Group Emg Consulting Communications. Specializing in Health and Agriculture/Environment, she covers European policy issues as a journalist.

Christina Perlega is a graduate of the Department of Marketing and Communication at the Athens University of Economics and Business. She completed an internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece and has been active in the Greek media landscape since 2021.

Nikoletta Petanidou has been a journalist since 2022 and covers mainly diplomatic and defense reporting. European and NATO reporting as well as geopolitical developments are among her areas of interest. She works at Dnews.gr. She holds a degree in Computer Science, has studied theatre and journalism at workshops and Lifelong Learning Center and has participated in amateur performances.

After completing his studies at the Department of Balkan Slavic and Oriental Studies, Athanasios Skoufias embarked on his career in investigative journalism by joining the Balkan Express documentary series. Additionally, he served as a researcher at the Istorima Archive, where he contributed to recording human stories and testimonies from various regions across Greece.

Eirini Sotiropoulou graduated from the German School of Athens and pursued further studies in Economics at Humboldt University, as well as Philosophy and China Studies at the Free University of Berlin. Currently, she is employed as a journalist at Inside Story.

Dimitris Theologidis is a postgraduate student of International Relations and Strategic Studies at Panteion University of Social Sciences in Athens, Greece. Having an academic background in journalism and mass communications, he is interested in European Journalism and the way the EU shapes its’ communication strategies.

Eleutheria Tsaliki is a graduate of the Department of Communication and Mass Media at the University of Athens, where she enrolled with the hope of learning about journalism. In the end, the most significant learning experience for her was at Inside Story, where she started with an internship. As an intern, she has also been worked in the Greek Parliament’s “Diaplasis” documentary program and Reporters Without Borders in Madrid. She has also worked on Stavros Theodorakis’ show “Protagonistes”.

Thenia Vasiliadou works as a journalist at ‘O Xronos Kozanis,’ a local newspaper in Kozani. She has been in this role from 03/01/2022 to this day, handling responsibilities that include journalism, editing, reporting, social media management, and website management. She describes herself as a passionate, workaholic team player.

Aliki Vasileiou is a BA graduate from the Department of Journalism & Mass Communications of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. For the past year she has been working as a fact-checker and also attending an English-speaking MA in “Digital Media, Communication & Journalism” in the pathway of ‘Risk Communication and Crisis Journalism’. She has interned at the Center for International and European Studies (CIES) of Kadir Has University in Istanbul and has participated in various research projects through the university.

Speakers contributions

DAY 1 EU Knowledge

Understanding the EU better
European policy making - the example of the European Green Deal
European Democracy, Rule of Law and Journalism  in Greece
European Democracy, Rule of Law and Journalism  in Greece
European Democracy and Rule of Law

DAY 2 Communication

Journalism at the European news desk
Fake news, fact-checking, disinformation and ethics of Journalism
The new digital regulatory framework and how it affects journalism and the media sector at the EU level
Digital transformation and new business models in the media sector
Contextualised and Scalar Writing

DAY 3 European Election 2024

Socio-political context and milestones in Greece; The importance of the democratic process and participation
Media and European Elections around Europe
Institutional campaign - European Elections 2019/2024 - EP tools and media services
Digital campaigning and Journalism

Filming

Production management/editing/audio: Yannis-Orestis Papadimitriou

Camera: Katerina Markoulaki

Editing (Promo/ Short video) Alexandra Verykokokku

Production Assistant: Fanis Zafeirakopoulos