4 days Ago
The sale of newspaper Politis from Yiannis Papadopoulos to Chris Panayiotou was made official on Wednesday. Papadopoulos has owned the newspaper and its related companies since it was founded in 1999, and said at a handover ceremony at Politis’ offices that Panayiotou “reminds me of myself, when I was starting out, when I was at his age with an appetite”. He added that he had been reassured that “the editors’ freedom will be non-negotiable”.
“Panayiotou and I grew up in England, we had our businesses abroad. We have no dependence on the interior,” he said. Panayiotou added that he is “here to continue in the same vein”, and that “ it is imperative that journalists work unhindered and freely ”.
“My experience in technology companies will help upgrade the newspaper and face the challenges of technology and strengthen it with new media,” he said. In the newspaper’s Wednesday issue, it wrote that “the new owner is dynamically entering the media sector after a long experience in the field of fintech, software development, digital marketing, communication systems, and other investments in foreign countries”. “The goal is to combine the skills and abilities which will aim to modernise the Politis newspaper and in particular its online presence with innovative tools, utilising the latest market trends in technology ,” it read.
It added, “the new business plan aims to make the Politis group the largest media tech company in the country, while always ensuring objective, timely, authoritative, free, and impartial journalism”. “The new ownership’s basic principle is that the bar for impartial and complete informing of people will remain high, within the framework of healthy competition, and that the absolute independence of the journalistic team will be fully preserved,” it said. It then added that Politis will “take new leaps in the digital age .
.. with respect for freedom of expression, transparency, the emergence of truth, justice, and the further enhancement of quality.
The sale of Politis includes most of the company’s arms, but not its radio station, Politis Radio. Politis reported that the procedures for the sale and transfer of the radio station to Neo Cymed Publishing, the owners of the Cyprus Mail , are underway . Founded in 1999, Politis has the second-largest circulation of any Greek-language newspaper in Cyprus.
Chris Panayiotou is the chief executive officer of Limassol-based IT consulting firm Cowin Technology, and also bought a 14.89 per cent share in media company Sigma last year. Panayiotou’s name appeared in Politis in November, with the newspaper providing extensive coverage of Cowin’s recent gala dinner.
In that article, the newspaper said Cowin is based in Cyprus, but has expanded into the European Union, Georgia, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries. House president Annita Demetriou was also at the dinner, and, according to Politis, “wished Cowin to continue to be a model company for partners and employees and to bring a new era to Cyprus’ business environment”. “Cowin’s knowhow and expertise should be an example for other private organisations to emulate,” she added.
Additionally, pop singer Eleni Foureira performed at the dinner. Panayiotou promised attendees “even greater success”, including “in new sectors, such as the media”..
