Sofia Papaioannou (Greek: Σοφία Παπαϊωάννου; born 1969) is a Greek journalist and television host. Since September 2013, Papaioannou has been a producer and host of Alpha TV's 360 Degrees, a Greek news magazine that covers an array of topics connected to Greek culture, politics, social issues, and history. She is currently co-director of ISTORIMA, an oral history and story-telling project designed to benefit unemployed Greek youth.[1]
Papaiaoannou was born in Athens, Greece, in 1969 and was raised in Palaio Faliro, a coastal suburb of Athens.[2]
Papaioannou holds a BA in History from Deree College, American College of Greece, and a BA in English Literature from the University of Athens. She received a Master's degree in Broadcast Journalism from New York University before returning to Greece to work in both print and broadcast journalism.[3]
Papaioannou has been active and visible in Greek journalism for 25 years. She has worked at four major Greek television stations: Antenna, Mega, Skai, and Alpha, working in a variety of roles and capacities (journalist, editorial director, co-anchor, co-presenter, presenter, and producer), and has covered stories across the world as well as across Greece.[4] She has also hosted a radio show, served as Editorial Director of the Greek edition of the Huffington Post,[5] and served as a print reporter for Greece's largest daily, Kathimerini. She served as head of the Foreign Press Office for the Athens 2004 Bid Committee for the Olympic Games.[6]
Papaioannou is the author of the book (in Greek), Hidden in the Aegean: A True Story, published in May 2011 by Patakis Editions.[2]
Papaioannou was recipient of the 2017 Association of European Journalists' Award.
In 2005, 2006, and 2007 she was recipient of the Greek TV/Ethnos award for the investigative news show "The Files."
Papaioannou is married and has two children, a son and a daughter.[2]