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A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire, or news service.

History[link]

The oldest news agency is Agence France-Presse (AFP).^[1] It was founded in 1835 by a Parisian translator and advertising agent, Charles-Louis Havas as Agence Havas. Two of his employees, Paul Julius Reuter and Bernhard Wolff, later set up rival news agencies in London and Berlin respectively. In 1853, in Turin, Guglielmo Stefani founded the Agenzia Stefani, that became the most important agency in the Kingdom of Italy, and took international relevance with Manlio Morgagni.

In order to reduce overhead and develop the lucrative advertising side of the business, Havas's sons, who had succeeded him in 1852, signed agreements with Reuter and Wolff, giving each news agency an exclusive reporting zone in different parts of Europe.^[2]

Commercial services[link]

News agencies can be corporations that sell news (e.g. Press Association, Thomson Reuters and United Press International). Other agencies work cooperatively with large media companies, generating their news centrally and sharing local news stories the major news agencies may chose to pick up and redistribute (i.e. AP, Agence France-Presse (AFP) or American Press Agency (APA)). Commercial newswire services charge businesses to distribute their news (e.g. Business Wire, the Hugin Group, GlobeNewswire, Marketwire, PR Newswire, CisionWire, and ABN Newswire). Governments may also control news agencies: China (Xinhua), Canada^{[citation needed]}, Russia (ITAR-TASS) and other countries also have government-funded news agencies which also use information from other agencies as well.^[3]

The major news agencies generally prepare hard news stories and feature articles that can be used by other news organizations with little or no modification, and then sell them to other news organizations. They provide these articles in bulk electronically through wire services (originally they used telegraphy; today they frequently use the Internet). Corporations, individuals, analysts, and intelligence agencies may also subscribe.

News sources, collectively, described as alternative media provide reporting which emphasizes a self-defined "non-corporate view" as a contrast to the points of view expressed in corporate media and government-generated news releases. Internet-based alternative news agencies form one component of these sources.

References and notes[link]

Ron Kampeas is the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), "responsible for coordinating coverage in the U.S. capital and analyzing political developments that affect the Jewish world."^[1]

Career[link]

In 1992 Kampeas joined The Associated Press in Jerusalem.^[2] For over ten years, he worked at AP "in its bureaus in Jerusalem, New York, London and, most recently, Washington."^[1] While living in Israel, he also worked for The Jerusalem Post, which still publishes his work originating with the JTA, and for "several Jewish organizations."^[1]

He served as the Human Rights Coordinator for the News Media Guild.^[3] In Washington, he wrote articles about "discrimination in the U.S. government and military, and he "was also a shop steward for two years": "'I've always had a keen interest in diversity issues, and believe they are a crucial part of the Guild's mandate,'" he was quoted as stating in August 2003.^[2] Other places from which he has reported include: Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and West Africa.^[1]

He was made Washington bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in the summer of 2003.^[2]

Kampeas covers news pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the peace process relating to it, and he has spoken publicly about this subject in educational programs sponsored jointly by organizations like The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, at The Palestine Center.^[4]

Personal history[link]

Kampeas was born and raised in Montreal.^[2] He is married to Doina Chiacu, who is also a former AP staff member, and they have two children.^[2] He has two homes, one in Washington, D.C. and an apartment in East Talpiot, Israel,^[5] a settlement in East Jerusalem.

Notes[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Articles by Ron Kampeas archived by FindArticles.com. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• Articles by Ron Kampeas archived by JTA: Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• Authors: Ron Kampeas. Articles by Ron Kampeas archived in the New Jersey Jewish Standard. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• Documents. Two articles by Ron Kampeas recommended by Campus Watch. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• "'Brain drain' Continues with AP Departures". WiReport: A Publication of the News Media Guild Local 31222, The Newspaper Guild, CWA, AFL-CIO, CLC August 2003. Accessed March 27, 2007.
• Essing, David and Ron Kampeas. "JTA: The View from JTA: Washington". Windows Media Player audio interview of Kampeas conducted by Essing on IsraCast. Online posting. IsraCast: A Multimedia Broadcast and Distribution Network. Broadcast April 16, 2004. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• Kampeas, Ron. "Groups Fear Quagmire in Iraq Undermines the Resolve on Iran". Jewish Telegraphic Agency March 1, 2007. The Jewish Exponent March 22, 2007. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• –––, and Said Arikat. "Politics and Perceptions of Peace: A Palestinian and Israeli Perspective". Summary of a Lecture by Journalists Said Arikat and Ron Kampeas presented on June 14, 2005. The Palestine Center of The Jerusalem Fund. For the Record No. 228 (2nd of 4 in Series), 26 July 2005. Accessed March 26, 2007
• Recent articles by Ron Kampeas archived in The Jewish Press. 2004-2007. Accessed March 26, 2007.
• "Ron Kampeas" Official staff biography featured on the website of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Related external links[link]

• "Capitol Currents: McNulty, What Were You Thinking?" Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Blogs/Opinion. Ron Kampeas's JTA blog. Updated April 17, 2007. Accessed April 17, 2007.

Greek Americans (Greek: Ελληνοαμερικανοί, Ellinoamerikani) are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States,^[2] while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent.^[3] In addition, the 2000 census revealed that Greek was spoken at home by 365,436 people older than five.^[4] Greek Americans have a heavy concentration in the New York City metropolitan area,^[5] Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Baltimore, Dallas, and Cleveland. Tarpon Springs, Florida is also home to a large Greek American community and the highest concentration of Greek-Americans in the country (11%). The United States is home to the largest overseas Greek community, ahead of Cyprus and the United Kingdom, which despite having a Greek population of less than 1 million has a larger percentage of Greeks than the U.S.

History[link]

The first Greek known to have been to what is now the United States was Don Theodoro, a sailor who landed on Florida with the Narváez expedition in 1528.^[6][7] He died during the expedition, as did most of his companions.

In 1592, Greek captain Juan de Fuca (Ioannis Fokas or Apostolos Valerianos) sailed up the Pacific coast under the Spanish flag, in search of the fabled Northwest Passage between the Pacific and the Atlantic. He reported discovering a body of water, a strait which today bears his name: the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which today forms part of the Canada – United States border.

In 1768, about 500 Greeks from Smyrna, Crete and Mani settled in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The colony was unsuccessful, and the settlers moved to St. Augustine in 1776, where their traces, except for the St Photios Greek Chapel, were lost to history.^[8][9]

The first significant Greek community to develop was in New Orleans, Louisiana during the 1850s. By 1866, the community was numerous and prosperous enough to have a Greek consulate and the first Greek Orthodox Church in the United States.^[10] During that period, most Greek immigrants to the New World came from Asia Minor and those Aegean Islands still under Ottoman rule. By 1890, there were almost 15,000 Greeks living in the U.S.

Immigration picked up again in the 1890s and early 20th century, due largely to economic opportunity in the U.S., displacement caused by the hardships of Ottoman rule, the Balkan Wars and World War I. 450,000 Greeks arrived to the States between 1890 and 1917, most working in the cities of the Northeast; others labored on railroad construction and in mines of the Western United States; another 70,000 arrived between 1918 and 1924. Each wave of immigration contributed to the growth of Hellenism in the U.S.

A young Greek immigrant on Ellis Island, New York City late 19th early 20th century - Hulton Archive.

Greek immigration at this time was over 90% male, contrasted with most other European immigration to the U.S., such as Italian and Irish immigration which averaged 50% to 60% male. Many Greek immigrants expected to work and return to their homeland after earning capital and dowries for their families. Two factors changed attitudes and facilitated permanent immigration: 1) Loss of homeland: In 1885, Eastern Rumelia, a Ottoman autonomous territory with a Greek minority^[11][12] became de-facto part of the Principality of Bulgaria (de-jure from 1908). Then, in 1923, after the Turkish War of Independence, a population exchange was agreed between Greece and Turkey, resulting in the flee of some 1,500,000 Greeks from Anatolia, Eastern Thrace and Pontus. In both cases, these Greeks were de jure denaturalized from those homelands and lost the right to return and their families were made refugees.^{[citation needed]} 2) The first widely implemented U.S. immigration limits against Europeans were made in 1923, creating an impetus for immigrants to apply for citizenship, bring their families and permanently settle in the U.S. Fewer than 30,000 Greek immigrants arrived in the U.S. between 1925 and 1945, many of whom were "picture brides" for single Greek men.^[13][14]

The events of the early 1920s also provided the stimulus for the first permanent national Greek American religious and civic organizations. Greeks again began to arrive in large numbers after 1945, fleeing the economic devastation caused by World War II and the Greek Civil War. From 1946 until 1982, approximately 211,000 Greeks emigrated to the United States. These later immigrants were less influenced by the powerful assimilation pressures of the 1920s and 1930s and revitalized Greek American identity, especially in areas such as Greek-language media.

Greek immigrants founded more than 600 diners in the New York region in the 1950s through the 1970s. Immigration to the United States from Greece peaked between the 1950s and 1970.^[15][16] After the 1981 admission of Greece to the European Union, annual U.S. immigration numbers fell to less than 2,000. In recent years, Greek immigration to the United States has been minimal; in fact, net migration has been towards Greece. Over 72,000 U.S. citizens currently live in Greece (1999); most of them are Greek Americans.

The predominant religion among Greeks and Greek Americans is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. There are also a number of Americans who descend from Greece's smaller Sephardic and Romaniote Jewish communities.

Greek settlements in the US[link]

States by percentage of people of Greek ancestry[link]

(according to the 2000 U.S. Census)

1. New Hampshire 1.24%
2. Massachusetts 1.23%
3. New York 0.84%
4. Connecticut 0.81%
5. Illinois 0.77%
6. New Jersey 0.73%
7. Rhode Island 0.62%
8. Maryland 0.59%
9. Utah 0.52%
10. Florida 0.48%

Greek-american building architecture

States by number of people of Greek ancestry[link]

(according to the 2000 U.S. Census)

1. New York 159,763
2. California 125,284
3. Illinois 95,064
4. Massachusetts 78,172
5. Florida 76,908
6. New Jersey 61,510
7. Pennsylvania 56,911
8. Ohio 50,609
9. Michigan 44,214
10. Texas 32,319

Communities by percentage of people of Greek ancestry[link]

American and Greek flags in Tarpon Springs, Florida

The US communities with the highest percentage of people claiming Greek ancestry are:^[17]

1. Tarpon Springs, Florida 10.40%
2. Campbell, Ohio 9.30%
3. Lincolnwood, Illinois 7.60%
4. Plandome Manor, New York 7.50%
5. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 7.20%
6. Allenwood, New Jersey 6.60%
7. South Barrington, Illinois 6.00%
8. Palos Hills, Illinois 5.40%
9. Nahant, Massachusetts 5.30%
10. Holiday, Florida, Munsey Park, New York and Alpine, New Jersey 5.20%
11. East Marion, New York 5.00%
12. Palos Park, Illinois, Upper Brookville, New York, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan and Grosse Pointe Township, Michigan 4.90%
13. Harbor Isle, New York 4.70%
14. Lake Dalecarlia, Indiana 4.50%
15. Barnum Island, New York 4.40%
16. Peabody, Massachusetts 4.30%
17. Livingston Manor, New York and University Gardens, New York 4.20%
18. Oak Brook, Illinois 4.00%
19. Dracut, Massachusetts 3.90%
20. Oyster Bay Cove, New York and Harwood Heights, Illinois 3.80%
21. Yorkville, Ohio, Hiller, Pennsylvania, Fort Lee, New Jersey, Long Grove, Illinois, Oakhurst, New Jersey and Ipswich, Massachusetts 3.70%
22. Garden City South, New York, Plandome, New York, Broomall, Pennsylvania and Norwood Park, Chicago, Illinois (neighborhood) 3.60%
23. Manhasset, New York, Palisades Park, New Jersey, Palos Township, IL, Windham, New York, Norridge, Illinois, Monte Sereno, California and Flower Hill, New York 3.50%
24. Morton Grove, Illinois, Wellington, Utah and Terryville, New York 3.40%
25. Plandome Heights, New York, Watertown, Massachusetts, Banks Township, PA (Carbon County, PA) and Harmony, Pennsylvania (Beaver County, PA) 3.30%
26. Niles Township, Illinois and Niles, Illinois 3.20%
27. Groveland, Massachusetts 3.10%
28. Albertson, New York, Stanhope, New Jersey, Caroline, New York, Graeagle, California, Marple Township, Pennsylvania and Lynnfield, Massachusetts 3.00%
29. Manhasset Hills, New York, West Falmouth, Massachusetts, Winfield, Indiana, Foster Township, Pennsylvania and Worth Township, Indiana (Boone County, IN) 2.90%

Dancing in Greek Fustanella at a folk festival in White Springs, Florida

Communities by percentage of those born in Greece[link]

The U.S. communities with the largest percentage of residents born in Greece are:^[18]

Popular culture[link]

• Greek American novelist Jeffrey Eugenides won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for his novel Middlesex, about a Greek American family in Detroit.
• The 1970s television-series Arnie ^[19] depicted aspects of Greek American life.
• In 1967, Academy Award-winning film-director Elia Kazan published a novel, The Arrangement: A Novel, about a conflicted Greek American living a double life as an advertising executive and muckraking journalist. Kazan, who died in September 2003, was a Greek American.
• The popular 1970s show Kojak, featured Telly Savalas as Greek American police detective Theo Kojak, and his brother George as detective Stavros. Kojak was originally supposed to be Polish (hence the name), but this was changed to match Savalas' profile.
• The 2002 comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding portrayed the love story of a Greek American woman (portrayed by Greek Canadian Nia Vardalos) and a non-Greek American man (specifically a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). It also examines the protagonist's troubled love/hate relationship with her cultural heritage and value system. The movie spawned an unsuccessful TV series, My Big Fat Greek Life.
• The Famous Teddy Z was an acclaimed but short-lived TV series about a fictional talent agent named Teddy Zakalakis, portrayed by Jon Cryer.
• The TV series Full House was about a family that included Greek American Uncle Jesse, portrayed by John Stamos. Jesse's Greek dad was also a recurring character.
• The Olympia Cafe was a recurring sketch in the early years of Saturday Night Live. More recently, Tina Fey has often joked about her Greek heritage on the show.
• Tom's Restaurant, a Greek American owned business, has become one of the symbols of urban New York life.
• Elektra Natchios is a Marvel Comics superhero, portrayed by Jennifer Garner in the 2003 movie Daredevil and the 2005 movie Elektra.
• In the 1973 blockbuster The Exorcist, Jason Miller starred as Greek American Father Damien Karras, one of the priests who exorcised young Regan. In one scene, Karras’ mother, played by Greek actress Vasiliki Maliaros, is listening to a Greek radio station broadcasting the song Ιστορία μου αμαρτία μου (My Story, My sin) by the late popular Greek singer Rita Sakellariou.
• Several entertainers and other performing artists including Johnny Otis, Kelly Clarkson, Alexander Frey, John Aniston, Jennifer Aniston, Melina Kanakaredes, Zach Galifianakis, Tommy Lee, Demitri Martin, Paul Cavonis, Criss Angel, Elias Koteas, Amy Sedaris, Andy Milonakis and Billy Zane are of Greek descent.
• Writer, performer and radio-commentator David Sedaris satirizes growing up in a Greek American household in Suburban North Carolina in several of his essays.

• Some of the greatest American athletes of all time and sports pioneers, including Pete Sampras, Mike Moustakas, Harry Agganis, Chris Chelios, Dean Karnazes, Alex Karras, Alexi Lalas, Dave Batista, Greg Louganis, Nick Markakis, Kurt Rambis, Tom Pappas and the legendary Jim Londos are of Greek descent.

Greek nationality[link]

Any person who is ethnically Greek born outside of Greece may become a Greek citizen through naturalization, providing he/she can prove a parent or grandparent was born as a national of Greece. The Greek ancestor's birth certificate and marriage certificate are required, along with the applicant's birth certificate, and the birth certificates of all generations in between until the relation between the applicant and the person with Greek citizenship is proven.

Greek American organizations[link]

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association headquarters in Washington, D.C.

New National Hellenic Museum during the day

There are hundreds of regional, religious and professional Greek American organizations. Some of the largest and most notable include:

• The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association is the largest community organization of Greek Americans. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922 to counter the anti-Greek attacks by the Ku Klux Klan during that time period. Its current membership exceeds 18,000.
• The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the religious organization most closely associated with the Greek American community. It was established in 1921, and is under the leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The church operates the Greek Orthodox Youth of America, the largest Orthodox Christian youth group in the United States.
• The American Hellenic Institute, an advocacy group for Greek Americans, and its lobbying arm, the American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs Committee.
• The Next Generation Initiative, a foundation that works with prominent Greek American leaders and executives to offer educational opportunities such as internships and master classes through a network of more than 5,500 Greek American students and 2,500 professors on 200+ college campuses.
• The Council of Hellenes Abroad is a Greek government sponsored umbrella organization for Greek immigrant organizations worldwide.
• The Hellenic Society Paideia has been promoting Hellenism and Orthodoxy since 1977 by placing Greek and Byzantium classes in high schools and universities, offering study abroad programs to Greece year round, and with various building projects throughout the country. Anywhere from 200-500 students travel to Greece with Paideia per year. Information specifically for the study abroad programs can be found at www.hellenicstudiespaideia.org Currently "Paideia" is constructing a Classical Greek Amphitheater at the University of Connecticut and a Center for Hellenic Studies at the University of Rhode Island.^[20]
• The National Hellenic Student Association (NHSA) ^[21] is the independent network of the Hellenic Student Associations (HSAs) across the United States. By linking all the Greek, Greek-American and Cypriot students of the American educational institutions, the organization can promote ideas and projects and enrich the Hellenic spirit on campuses nationwide.
• Many topika somatea or clubs representing the local regional homeland of Greeks in America. Among the scores of such clubs, larger "umbrella" organizations include the Pan Macedonian Association, the Panepirotic Federation, the Pan Cretan Association, the Pan-Icarian Brotherhood, the Pan Pontian Federation of U.S.A-Canada, the Chios Societies of America & Canada, the Cyprus Federation of America, the Pan-Laconian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Messinian Federation of the USA & Canada, the Pan-Arcadian Federation of America and several associations of refugees from areas in the former Ottoman territories.
• The National Hellenic Museum

Other famous Greek Americans[link]

• 

  Vice President Spiro Agnew

• 

  Reince Priebus

• 

  Gus Bilirakis

• 

  Michael Bilirakis

• 

  Zack Space

• 

  George Gekas

• 

  John Sarbanes

• 

  Paul Sarbanes

• 

  Dina Titus

• 

  Michael Chiklis

• 

  Constantine Maroulis

• 

  Billy Zane

• 

  Elia Kazan

• 

  Maria Menounos

• 

  Peter Diamandis

• 

  Constantine Papadakis

• 

  Dave Batista

• 

  William Pagonis

• 

  Jason Calacanis

• 

  Alexander Payne

• 

  Tino Martinez

• 

  Yanni

• 

  James G. Stavridis

• 

  John Sitaras

See also[link]

	United States portal
	Greece portal

• List of Greek-Americans
• Greeks in Omaha, Nebraska
• Greeks
• Greek diaspora
• Diaspora politics in the United States
• European American
• Grecian Echoes
• Greek Cypriots
• Greek Festival
• Greektown
• Hyphenated American
• Greek Canadians
• Greek British
• Greek Australians
• Greeks in New Zealand

References[link]

External links[link]

Embassy and Consulates

• Embassy
• General Consulate Los Angeles

Charitable organizations

• AHEPA home page - American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association
• The Hellenic Society "Paideia"
• Greek America Foundation
• National Hellenic Society
• Onassis Foundation (USA)
• Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund

Libraries and museums

• National Hellenic Museum
• Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection at California State University, Sacramento
• Basil J. Vlavianos manuscript collection at California State University, Sacramento
• The Museum Of Greek Culture at the The New England Carousel Museum constructed by The Hellenic Society Paideia housing a Macedonia exhibit.

Trade organizations

• Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce
• Greek-American Chamber of Commerce

Affiliate trade organizations

• Hellenic Canadian Board of Trade
• Hellenic Canadian Lawyers Association
• Hellenic-Argentine Chamber of Industry and Commerce (C.I.C.H.A.)

Websites

• Famous Greek-Americans - A comprehensive list of famous Greeks and Greek Americans.

Media

• KUED - Tribute to Utah's Greek-Americans

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Selahattin Demirtaş (born 10 April 1973, in Palu, Turkey) is a kurdish Turkish-speaking pro-Kurdish^[1] politician whose parent speak Zaza dialect of Kurdish language.^[2] He became the chairman of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) in January 2010.^[3]

He graduated from Ankara University Law Faculty. He is on the Board of Directors of the Diyarbakir Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD).

Selahattin Demirtaş was elected to the Turkish Parliament in the 2007 election as an MP for Diyarbakir for the Democratic Society Party (DTP), which eventually re-formed as the BDP.

He is married and has two children. His brother, Nurettin Demirtaş was also an active politician and the leader of the Democratic Society Party (DTP).

In September 2010, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison for alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is banned as a terrorist organization in Turkey.^[4]

Demirtaş emerged as a leader of the BDP's civil disobedience campaign during the 2011 Kurdish protests in Turkey, which he compared to concurrent protests in the region, especially the revolution in Egypt.^[5] He spoke with President Abdullah Gul on behalf of the Kurdish population after the fatal shooting of a BDP supporter by police in April.^[6]

References[link]

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