Archbishop Honored at Greek Journalism Awards Amid Calls for Press Freedom

The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos II, received a Special Honorary Distinction at the 39th Athanasios Botsis Foundation Awards for Journalism.

The ceremony, held at the Zappeion Megaron and attended by President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, recognized the Archbishop's spiritual, pastoral, and theological contributions while also highlighting journalistic excellence and pressing

President Tasoulas and the president of the Botsis Foundation, Panos Karagiannis, presented the award, which was accepted on behalf of the Archbishop by Bishop Alexios of Stavropigion.

The annual event, a fixture since 1982, celebrates journalists across various media for their integrity, service, and impact on public discourse.

This year’s top journalism award went to veteran broadcaster Giorgos Papadakis, recognized for his 34-year tenure as the host of “Kalimera Ellada” on ANT1, one of Greece’s longest-running morning news programs.

Awards were also presented to journalists and editors across a range of categories, from investigative and parliamentary reporting to local journalism and environmental coverage.

Among the recipients were Foivos Karzis for his radio documentary on Greece’s transition to democracy, Dimitris Kottaridis and Nina Kasimati for their weekend show on public TV, and Panagiotis Lampsias and Vangelis Papadimitriou for their political reporting.

Michalis Mastis of the “Rodiaki” newspaper was honored for highlighting social issues, while Prodromos Papailiopoulos and Vasilis Chiotis were recognized for long-standing excellence in news leadership and comprehensive political analysis.

Awards for economic, sports, energy, and diplomatic reporting were also given, underscoring the breadth of fields in which Greek journalism continues to serve public interest.

Special distinctions were presented to journalists with decades of service, including Nikos Hasapopoulos and Dimitris Dimitrakoudis, who has reported from Vienna for over 50 years.

Thanasis Metsios of the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) received recognition for his 30-year career, as did his colleague Nikol Kazantzidou for her work promoting sustainable tourism coverage.

In his address, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Pavlos Marinakis emphasized the growing risks journalists face in conflict zones and called for stronger protections.

“It is our duty to think of those in war zones and those lost in the line of duty,” Mr. Marinakis said. He announced ongoing seminars on safety in hostile environments and disaster areas, developed with journalist unions.

Mr. Marinakis also pointed to new legal measures introduced by the government, including the abolition of simple defamation, the criminalization of threats against sports journalists, and forthcoming legislation to curb abusive lawsuits against the press.

“Our third duty is to protect the truth — and this is something we must walk together, hand in hand,” he said.

Sotiris Triantafyllou, president of the Panhellenic Confederation of Journalist Unions, warned that journalism is facing an era of unprecedented change and threats.

Yet, Mr. Triantafyllou underlined the importance of the Botsis Awards as a rare institutional tradition that affirms the value of ethical and robust journalism in the public interest.

At a time when misinformation, political pressure, and economic instability test the resilience of media worldwide, the Botsis Foundation ceremony served as both a celebration of journalistic achievements and a sober call to safeguard the fundamental freedoms on which democracy depends.

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