Alterthess

Alterthess is an organised journalistic Social Cooperative Enterprise (SCE) that encompasses journalism research, the writing of articles, and the production of audiovisual material to express diverse viewpoints and provide an alternative to dominant mainstream media outlets.

Its main coverage areas include environment, social rights, refugee issues, and gender violence.

It started operating in 2010, aiming to fill the void of media coverage about the impact of austerity measures in Greece on the life of the lower social classes.

Through its reporting, the team of Alterthess “struggles against nationalism and all kinds of discrimination, as it is also a matter of credible information,” says co-founder Stavroula Poulimeni. Like several other independent Greek media, Alterthess provides visibility for people and movements that cannot find a place in mainstream media.

For the last decade, Alterthess has documented the impact of Hellas Gold, one of the biggest mining companies in Greece, and its operations on the environment and the local community. In 2021, the organisation and its journalist Stavroula Poulimeni were targeted after publishing an article on the conviction of Hellas Gold’s mining executive for environmental damage.

Alterthess is one of the few small independent media in Greece that is not based in Athens, providing critical reporting on local topics in Thessaloniki.