High-quality, independent journalism, without fear or favor

On March 10, 1998 the international headlines were dominated by events in Kosovo, by United Nations inspectors in Iraq, and by Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s spat with the Green party in Germany. Back then Bill Clinton was president of the United States and Costas Simitis was prime minister of Greece. But what the headlines did not proclaim was the birth and launch of a partnership that has endured to this day and that has chronicled the significant tumult and progress of the past two decades.

Twenty years ago, Kathimerini and The New York Times International edition (then the International Herald Tribune) entered a partnership that was based on shared values and a belief that offering a combination of Kathi’s high-quality domestic news, in English, along with the Times’s global depth and breadth would be a compelling proposition. And so it has proven to be. For globally curious Greeks, for the international community residing in Greece and for visitors to Greece alike, Kathi’s English Edition distributed along with The New York Times has provided a terrific and compelling cocktail of news, cultural writing, analysis and thought-provoking opinion writing.

In this age of extraordinarily rapid technological progress, traditional media organizations are having to adapt at an equally dizzying pace. In doing so we have also had to adjust to the fact that this rate of change will be unrelenting. In this context, partnerships that endure for 20 years are a rare and precious thing. For titles like Kathimerini and The New York Times, there is a core tenet that remains constant: The production of high-quality, independent, without fear or favor journalism. For us, good journalism is good business, and they are mutually reinforcing. It is this core tenet that has allowed our partnership to survive and thrive through these past 20, tumultuous years.

The Alafouzos and Sulzberger families, the respective owners of Kathimerini and The New York Times, share a deep conviction that independent journalism is the fundamental bedrock of any healthy democracy and that investing in journalism whilst adapting to change is both necessary and crucial. It has been a great pleasure to witness the enduring nature of our partnership and I am very grateful for the support and friendship of Themis Alafouzos and of Alexis Papachelas, a man who embodies good journalism. I am also very grateful for the dedication of my colleagues Achilles Tsaltas and Helen Konstantopoulos to this wonderful daily endeavor. May it last for another 20 years. * Stephen Dunbar-Johnson is president, international of The New York Times Company.