ENGLISH SECTION
06:58
Hellas Journal promises to remain an independent and national journalistic voice: And that’s why we are asking for the support of our readers
When the famous newspaper the Guardian wrote to its readers to help strengthen the efforts of its journalists and the paper itself, it asked them to protect fearless, strong, independent journalism.
The American news agency, the Associated Press followed suit addressing those who read its news reports and share them: Your donation will help the Associated Press continue its mission to promote the power of fact-based journalism.
Many think that the British newspaper and the American news agency have billionaire owners and shareholders that cover their expenses. That is NOT true. Instead, they rely on their readers, their subscribers, and a few advertisers—and them alone. The reason is simple: They want to continue to provide free, reliable journalism and remain fiercely independent mass media.
No “godfather” holds them in his power and no government or billionaire imposes its will and interests on them.
A few days ago, Hellas Journal unveiled a costly change in its appearance and content to stay up to date with technological developments. At the same, we decided that we remain committed to the mission that we had when this enterprise began:
To speak our mind and express our opinions without censorship and to extend that promise to our columnists and contributors.
This website was created because of the need for a strong voice on the Cyprus issue in the event that an attempt is made to impose a new pro-Turkish agenda on Cyprus—such as the Anan plan which aimed to deliver the island to the Turkish sphere of influence.
At the same time, we want to be able to express our opinions freely and independently when we consider that the Aegean is in danger and that’s why we will closely monitor Turkey’s movements in the Aegean and because we will never buy into the so-called “peaceful approaches” made by the neo-sultan of Ankara.
Our interest also undiminished for our compatriots in Albania and in Macedonia. And of course, despite the fact that unacceptable Byzantinism prevails in the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, we will continue to fight for those who work tirelessly to genuinely protect the pillars of Orthodoxy.
At the same time, we oppose extremes, whether they are right-wing or left-wing. After all, the Democracy rejects them.
It is important to remember that Turks will never change. Even when they present themselves as “lambs,” they are wolves ready to devour our islands and occupy all of Cyprus. Anything else is a lie. The Turkish political and military leadership does not want friendship, it demands submission.
So, we want and believe we must stay independent and free. We could have accepted any one of the many offers that we’ve had to buy this site or a percentage of it. We have refused.
Furthermore, our website may be one of the very few media outlets in Greece that has zero debt. We don’t owe anyone a single dollar. We said since the beginning that we will keep the site alive as long as we can fulfill our financial obligations—first to our employees and partners and then to the various news, photo, and video agencies that we rely on for current news.
With the help of Google ads and some advertisers who support us because they want to, we have gotten this far. We have to say times are difficult for our national issues, and also for the preservation of independent information.
So with the update of our website, we did what the Guardian and the Associated Pres and many other media around the world have done: We are asking our readers to help us remain an independent journalistic voice for Greece, Cyprus, and the Greek diaspora around the world, especially in America where the Archdiocese has sown discord by circumventing the Greek American community.
In addition, please keep in mind that for the first time in a U.S. Presidential election, our national issues were not part of the platform of either of the two major parties—Democratic and Republican.
To be clear: We are not begging for alms here. No. Those who believe in us can strengthen our effort with a contribution. Whether you help our effort or not, you will still be able to read our journalism for free without any limitation whatsoever.
We also want to assure you that we are not lying about the changes in media technology that forced readers to subscribe. We totally understand why they did and hope that they get thousands upon thousands of subscribers. The costs of running a website are huge and the ad revenue is often not enough to cover those costs. Paid subscriptions are one solution for the majority of mass media.
In an age where misinformation dominates the Internet, readers must turn to trusted sources of information. Real journalists do not have the luxury to lie, even a little bit. And if we lie and make a mistake, we will admit it and not hide behind the lie.
Our website sincerely thanks the thousands of our readers in Greece, Cyprus, and wherever our compatriots live, create, and work—all of those who read us every day and honor us with their praise, or their criticism.
We receive thanks and insults, daily. But, we firmly believe that everyone is entitled to an opinion and we thank our readers for both of them.
