Just yesterday, in the evening of Monday 2 May 2022, the Kythera news website “Kythera.News” published an article - report on the issue of waste management that once again concerns our fellow citizens in recent times. More specifically, our website highlighted the protest of a fellow citizen, who chose in a sarcastic way to share it on social media (Facebook).
In her protest, which she had shared on Facebook since the evening of May Day, she hinted at the ugly aesthetics of the area at the Panagiotis Koroneiou - Poulakis pier during the days of Easter. Our fellow citizen obviously expressed her personal opinion, since she keeps a catering shop a few meters from the spot and this sight could not be described as very pleasant for the regulars - customers and passers-by. Soon the post became a subject of controversy among various users, while before the relevant publication of Kythera.News was preceded by the reproduction of the post from the blog of the AdelinFM radio station based in Agia Pelagia entitled: «THIRD WORLD IMAGES IN THE PORT «CHAOS» BY POSTING ON FACEBOOK».
At Kythera.News we decided, late Monday night, to publish a general report on the issue, regardless of the opinion of our fellow citizen, or the users who commented just below. We even chose to include, along with the opinion of our fellow citizen and that of the Mayor, as well as photographs of the site at various times to highlight the need to intervene in this matter. After pointing out the problems created at the point and the failures of the authorities, always in our view, we concluded by expressing our interest in what the deputy mayor responsible for cleanliness, Mr. George Kominos, will do on this issue.
After 9.00 in the evening, while hundreds of users in cyberspace were following the relevant publications, including ours, I received personal messages on the aforementioned issue from a person whose details I do not wish to disclose at this time, where, in an inappropriate style and insolent behaviour, among intense and highly slanderous accusations towards me, he announced: «Get ready to sue...». «...No more jokes...». «...What you are doing is systematic lying and misleading. The lawyer takes over now. That's it.»
Of course, when you receive such messages, for a website you own and also to you personally or to your colleagues, because you have published a news story, an opinion or a photo, it is natural to consider the responsibility of the publication, as well as the importance and the weight of what is mentioned in it. And when you live in a country where just today it was announced that it is ranked the worst in Europe in terms of Press Freedom Indexes (Reporters Without Borders - Reporters Sans Frontieres) I'm sure you don't think it's that funny.
Just a little while ago, I was announced in the most official way, through the press from a local political group of my compatriots that «I am not allowed to attack with unacceptable characterizations against the twice elected Mayor» and that «Nobody anointed Mr. Preca as a general commentator and honored on all matters»! In this statement, this self-governing political group suggested to me «to be more careful...» and that only if I accept what they propose, then and only then «my speech will become credible and subject to public debate!.
Without mentioning more about what has been happening on my island lately, not only about me personally, but also about other fellow citizens who express their position and opinion in the public debate, it is completely understandable that the right of speech and the way in which it is exercised is also being questioned here in our country. It is completely understood and understood that my personal Freedom, the Freedom of my colleagues in the Kythera.News medium, the Freedom of my colleagues and every citizen who wants to speak are being put under the sway of the control mechanisms which will decide who, when, how, where and why will speak. At the same time, I am not at all surprised by the «silence of the lambs» of these mechanisms and their followers, since in the last three years, both in Chirigo and throughout the country, an attempt has been made to unipolarise the information, to circumvent the democratic rights of all citizens and to impose the agenda of «individual responsibility - individual condemnation».
The only thing I have to declare at this moment is that I and my colleagues will continue to exercise our journalistic duty, without submitting to anyone, but to serve Tsirigotissa and Tsirigotis as well as every citizen who watches and reads us. We will not be afraid, we will not obey any threat to silence our freedom, as derived from the Constitution and the Laws of the State and always in accordance with journalistic ethics.
Kythera.News has proven to be a free medium that has never refused to keep the channel of communication open to our fellow citizens and politicians. Even when I don't like, we don't like, any opinion, I will be and will be here to record it, host it, broadcast it.
Our motivation and criterion is to defend and promote the good of our island, which we believe is deeply served by the truth, transparency and objectivity that we strive for.
Freedom requires courage, but it also requires virtue.
