With the “opening up” of our region 3–4 decades ago, new residents were drawn to its unique natural, climatic and cultural features. For the first time since Mani appeared as a distinct entity in historical records, the integration of these newcomers, due to their number and diversity, has become a very difficult task. This is what leads us to seek, in various ways, the recording, evaluation, and promotion of the region’s social and historical characteristics, aiming to offer elements of self-awareness to our fellow citizens and to deepen the understanding of the area for those new residents who have chosen to settle here.

To serve this goal, we at MANIOT SOLIDARITY are especially drawn to researching the flow of social and historical elements of our region, as recorded by notable intellectuals of Mani, those who became widely recognised writers and journalists over the two centuries of the modern Greek state. We republish their texts, particularly those closely connected to our region, their homeland. Our readers have, of course, understood this by simply observing each issue. However, our exploration of such texts has also led us to a comparative approach between the quality of writing in books and journalistic texts of older periods and the current one, which we would like to present below. We do this to better justify our choices and to connect them to a broader framework for helping new residents become acquainted with our region.

The literary and journalistic texts of earlier times are characterised by structure and precision, with meanings that are immediately understandable. The texts are dense with content, directly accessible to their readers. These features form a quality archive of documented material that outlines our land and defines the concept of MANI both as a place and as a way of life for its people. We make these observations in contrast to much of the literary and journalistic output of today, emphasizing our determination not to follow this general trend, but instead to draw inspiration from the journalism of the past.

Modern technologies, as they have evolved, have created a deluge of information through contemporary communication channels (radio, television, print and digital media, and the internet). Today’s citizen endures this endless flow 24 hours day, which whether you look at it or turn your gaze away, is always there to overwhelm you. Today’s citizen has “matured” under its influence and now “lives” through headlines with capital letters on screens, thus devaluing the significance of capital letters of the old writing, which were crucial elements for structuring the most important chapters of our very lives. 

At MANIOT SOLIDARITY we strive to adopt only those characteristics of new technology that do not compromise the quality and richness of written language and meanings, as these were taught to us a few decades ago by our elders —at home and in school— and as we continue to see them reflected in older writings. From the very first issue, our primary goal has been to combat information overload. We attempt this by filtering the news and limiting it to that which directly or indirectly concerns our broader region. Our principle is that news should not be a dry report, but should include a critical perspective and a thoughtful commentary, always presented gently, with the aim of encouraging readers to reflect. We also reject any attempt to create a climate of petty political manipulation through the repeated presentation of the same news at different stages of its development, avoiding the deliberate misinformation that this tactic can cause. We prioritise news based on the social benefit that can be produced by implementing its content, while identifying and silencing elements of subjective bias.

Ultimately, we are convinced that the course we follow in crafting the content of each issue not only counters the phenomenon of information overload, an endemic illness in modern communication, but also offers reliable and objective information about our region. This contributes not only to strengthening pride in our homeland, but also to the harmonious integration of Mani’s new residents. These aims are also embedded in the mission of our non-profit association of the same name, which has been publishing this newspaper for 27 years.

THE EDITORIAL BOARD