iMEdD

iMEdD, short for Incubator for Media Education and Development, is a non-profit organization based in Greece and founded in 2018 through the exclusive donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). It was established as a joint initiative of SNF and journalists Anna-Kynthia Bousdoukou and Stratis Trilikis, during a period marked by a widespread crisis in journalism and growing distrust and contempt toward journalists and media. Its mission is to support journalists, students, and media professionals by providing tools, training, and opportunities that enhance transparency and credibility in their work. iMEdD operates as an incubator for quality journalism, fostering a community of journalists, promoting collaboration and synergies, and supporting innovative projects that reshape media practices. It also creates and facilitates quality journalistic content through initiatives such as the Incubator program, co-productions, and original content creation. Additionally, iMEdD organizes events and workshops to train the journalistic community with the latest tools and practices, drawing on experts from various fields within journalism. Its flagship event, the International Journalism Forum, is held annually at Pireós 260 in Athens and brings together over 1,000 participants, 119 speakers from 34 countries, and 47 panels, workshops, and keynotes. Other notable initiatives include the Incubator for local journalism in Greece, the AI Spotlight Series training, and podcast series such as Bipolar Opposites and Evros Behind the Fence. iMEdD is not a commercial media outlet but a non-profit organization funded by SNF, and it operates primarily in Greece with an expanding European and international reach.

iMEdD was founded in 2018 as a joint initiative of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and journalists Anna-Kynthia Bousdoukou and Stratis Trilikis. The creation of iMEdD came during a period characterized by a widespread crisis in journalism, as well as growing lack of trust and contempt toward journalists and media. The organization was established with the exclusive donation of SNF and operates as a non-governmental organization under the patronage of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Its ultimate goal, according to its founders, is the promotion and strengthening of transparency, relevance, independence, and excellence in journalism. At the same time, it aims to strengthen relationships, mutual support, and solidarity among journalists and media workers, to further promote cooperation at local and international levels, and to promote innovations and actions aimed at reforming and modernizing media practices. This general initiative includes, among other things, encouraging and creating original journalistic content, as well as collaborations and co-productions in journalistic research, and highlighting topics and issues through investigative journalism work. Among its actions, iMEdD regularly organizes events and workshops with the ultimate goal of educating, training, and informing journalists on issues related to practices and technological tools, in the presence of experts in the relevant field. At the same time, each year a multi-day series of events is organized, known as the "International Journalism Forum," which is hosted at Pireós 260. In 2025, the International Journalism Forum brought together over 1,000 participants, 119 speakers from 34 countries, and 47 panels, workshops, and keynotes, tackling challenges such as AI, cross-border investigations, conflict reporting, and climate coverage. Highlights included the UNCOVERED Conference and IJ4EU Impact Awards. Also in 2025, the Incubator for local journalism in Greece invited local journalists from across Greece to collaborate, resulting in three investigative projects on air pollution, who cities leave behind, and the silent crisis of road accidents. Other initiatives include the podcast Bipolar Opposites by Valia Dimitrakopoulou and Daphne Tsiouni, which premiered at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in March; the AI Spotlight Series training in Thessaloniki led by Karen Hao and Gabriel Geiger, which equipped 12 journalists from Southeastern Europe with tools to critically investigate AI; and Evros Behind the Fence, a podcast series by journalist Apostolos Staikos documenting life in remote border villages in northern Evros, followed by an open discussion in Orestiada. iMEdD also hosted a public discussion on algorithmic accountability at reworks agora with Joanna Kao.

• 2025

  International Journalism Forum 2025 held with over 1,000 participants, 119 speakers from 34 countries, and 47 panels, workshops, and keynotes.

• 2025

  Incubator for local journalism in Greece produced three investigative projects on air pollution, urban exclusion, and road accidents.

• 2025

  Podcast Bipolar Opposites premiered at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in March.

• 2025

  AI Spotlight Series training in Thessaloniki led by Karen Hao and Gabriel Geiger equipped 12 journalists from Southeastern Europe.

• 2025

  Evros Behind the Fence podcast series by Apostolos Staikos documented life in remote border villages, followed by an open discussion in Orestiada.

• 2018

  iMEdD founded as a joint initiative of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and journalists Anna-Kynthia Bousdoukou and Stratis Trilikis.

Non-profit incubator supporting transparency, independence, and excellence in journalism through training, collaboration, and innovative projects.

• International Journalism Forum

  Annual multi-day event hosted at Pireós 260, bringing together journalists from around the world.

• Incubator for local journalism in Greece

  Program inviting local journalists to collaborate on investigative projects.

• AI Spotlight Series training

  Training equipping journalists with tools to critically investigate AI.

• Bipolar Opposites podcast

  Podcast by Valia Dimitrakopoulou and Daphne Tsiouni on mental health stigma.

• Evros Behind the Fence podcast

  Podcast series by Apostolos Staikos documenting life in remote border villages.

1. 1iMEdD - Incubator for Media Education and Developmentimedd.org
2. 2History - iMEdDimedd.org
3. 3Mission - iMEdDimedd.org
4. 4iMEdD - Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5IMEdD - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org