Map

The interactive map of local and regional news media in Greece was created and is maintained by the iMEdD team for the purpose of informing all interested parties regarding the country’s local and regional news media. The map shows their distribution by region and format, as well as the name of each media outlet, address and web address – for those media outlets that have websites – and the language in which they create content. Following similar models of local and regional media outlet mapping, we understand the term “local and regional news media” in a more general and inclusive sense. Local and regional media outlets are defined as those that are local or regional in scope, publishing and broadcasting news and opinion articles or commentary on topics of local interest. Local media include daily and weekly newspapers, local/regional radio and television stations, and local websites. These websites are either affiliated with some other outlet (e.g., newspaper, radio or television station) or are digital native media.

The data posted on the map are based exclusively on publicly available data. More specifically, based on the type of media outlet, the following apply:

I. With regard to the press, the list is based on the Registry of the Secretariat General for Media and Communication (SGMC), applying this registry’s criteria as to what constitutes a ‘local, regional, prefectural media outlet’ (Law 3548, Government Gazette Series I, No 68/20.3.2007). Also taken into consideration was the updated list of daily and weekly newspapers of the Association of Provincial Print Media Proprietors.
Newspapers that continue to be published but are not on the SGMC registry were also added to the SGMC list. These newspapers were identified during the process of confirming the data. In line with the SGMC registry, we did not include print media published fortnightly, monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, annually, etc., or sports newspapers and local or regional magazines.

II. The list of local and regional news radio and television stations was based on the lists of the National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) and the criteria set by the applicable legislation regarding licensing of the media outlets in question, including for stations that broadcast regionally. In tandem, journalists were surveyed regarding the content and operation or cessation of broadcasting of each station the NCRTV had listed as ‘News Outlet’ or ‘In operation’. The list of radio and television stations does not include stations whose content focuses on sports, music, entertainment or religious content. Stations were categorised as local or regional following a survey of journalists carried out on stations’ social network pages and websites, with the stations/journalists themselves reporting the areas where they broadcast.

III. With regard to local and regional news websites, the list was based on the Registry of Digital News Media Enterprises (Articles 52, 53 and 54 of Law 4339/2015, Government Gazette Series I, No 133) and also included websites not in this registry. These were identified through interviews with members of the local journalism community during the process of confirming the data. We have taken into account that inclusion of the websites in the Registry of Digital News Media Enterprises is optional. So, we understand local news websites as those whose posted content includes press releases, local news, opinion articles, etc. – whether or not they are on the Registry – and which have not ceased to post this ‘news content’ on a regular basis. As in the case of print media and television and radio stations, we have not included purely sports- and entertainment-focused websites, websites of cultural associations or church/religious websites among news websites.

Data collection began in September 2021 with the drawing up of a list of daily and weekly regional newspapers from the above sources. To this list were added operational news radio and television stations and the news websites affiliated with the above media. iMEdD then carried out an extensive internet and social media survey aimed at (1) identifying additional news media per region and (2) ascertaining whether these media operate and create content.

The Organization then contacted journalist unions (Journalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers in Macedonia-Thrace; Journalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers of Thessaly, Central Greece and Evia; Journalists’ Union of Daily Newspapers of the Peloponnese, Epirus and the Islands) and received contact information for members in each region, following consultations among the presidents/directors of the unions. This resulted in the creation of a list of journalists to be interviewed, covering each region of the Greek provinces, and interviews were carried out via telephone. During these telephone interviews, the journalists were asked whether they could confirm that the media on the iMEdD list were operational. They were also asked whether they could suggest other outlets that might not have been listed. Any media outlets that had ceased to create content were removed from the iMEdD list.

A unified list was created, containing and counting all of the confirmed media outlets per prefecture. These outlets were then categorised as to format of media outlet (newspaper, radio station, television station, website) and frequency of publication (weekly, daily) and range (regional, local), and they were checked again.

In the final stage of confirming the data of each news outlet, online searches were conducted to collect additional public data concerning these news outlets, and a number of telephone call were made regarding information that was not clear or up to date.
Finally, bearing in mind that the Organization’s ultimate goal is for this map to provide as accurate a picture as possible of the news voices operating throughout Greece, iMEdD allows operating news outlets to submit applications for inclusion in the Map if they are not on the above lists and/or there is inadequate data on them from the relevant agencies. iMEdD hereby invites the representatives of any news media with the above data to submit a relevant application to the Organization’s team.

The regional media outlets on the map have been divided into four main categories: (1) print media, (2) news radio stations, (3) televisions stations and (4) websites.

Print media are divided into (a) daily newspapers and (b) weekly newspapers. The map does not include sport newspapers (daily or weekly), monthly publications or magazines.

News radio stations are divided into (a) local and (b) regional. This division arose from confirmation of data and visits to the websites and social media pages of the radio stations, which state their range and broadcast frequency.

Television stations are divided into (a) local and (b) regional. This division was carried out in the same way as for radio stations.

Websites are divided into (a) news websites, (b) websites of newspapers that have closed down, (c) digital native media, (d) radio station websites and (e) television station websites.