Following the completion of this year’s open call, we are excited to announce the selected participants of the Incubator for Local Journalism 2026.
The Incubator is designed to support journalistic research and the production of public-interest projects. The 2026 cycle focused on journalists (whether working individually or as part of cross-regional teams) based outside Athens who are active in local media across Greece to explore issues of transparency and accountability and to further develop their ideas; whether at an early concept stage or already in progress. Particular emphasis was placed on stories that, while rooted in a specific place, shed light on wider systemic challenges, as well as on journalistic work highlighting innovation or pioneering ideas of local or national relevance.
This year’s program received strong interest from journalists from local media, freelancers, and teams across Greece, with proposals that shed light on issues that matter both to local communities and to the broader public interest.
From Siatista to Leros, and from Orestiada to Crete, a wide range of issues were highlighted -from demographics and water scarcity to biodiversity and overtourism- which, while rooted locally, clearly resonate with the public interest, underscoring the role of local journalism today.
We would like to warmly thank all journalists and teams who submitted their proposals!
After review by an independent jury, the following projects have been selected for participation:
*in alphabetical order
- [Format: Short video]
Τheocharis Gougoulitsas (Thessaloniki)
- [Format: Short video]
Mary Karyotaki (Irakleio)
- [Format: Long-form text]
Giorgos Konstas (Chania)
Nikos Patounas (Orestiada)
- [Format: Short video]
Elli Xypolitaki (Livadeia)
Incubator Jury
*in alphabetical order
- Valia Kaimaki is a journalist and Assistant Professor at the Department of Digital Media and Communication at Ionian University.
- Joanna Krawczyk is Director of CORRECTIV.Europe, an editorial network and development program supporting 400 local journalists and newsrooms across 34 European countries.
- Natassa Vafeiadou is a journalist and publisher of the daily newspaper “Observer of Thrace” located in Komotini, Greece, where she was born and raised.
The programme includes:
- Coverage of research costs: travel, accommodation, food, etc.
- Production support through iMEdD’s network of partners (photographers, sound engineers, videographers, editors, graphic artists) according to the needs expressed in the application.
- Possibility of synergy with the iMEdD Data Unit for data analysis/visualization if required by the topic.
- Mentoring from the international network of iMEdD partners.
The selected projects will be developed over the next three months (Μay-July 2026), with the support of the iMEdD team and its network of collaborators.
We look forward to sharing their work as it unfolds. Stay tuned!
