New York Times-Kathimerini partnership turns 25

Aristides Alafouzos, the late owner of Kathimerini, loved challenges. In 1988, a critical period for the Greek press, he bought Kathimerini, ensuring that the prestige and integrity of this historic newspaper would be preserved. Nine years later, he was contacted by the people of the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, who proposed a fresh challenge: a partnership between Kathimerini and the IHT (which was a joint venture between The New York Times and the Washington Post until the Times acquired full ownership in 2003) that would see the release of an English-language edition of the Greek newspaper. It was a groundbreaking initiative, a first in the Greek media landscape.

Alafouzos, who had established his good reputation in the competitive arena of international shipping, jumped at the opportunity. "I want us to be citizens of the world and the newspaper of the world...