The Reference Circle continues to grow. We are delighted to welcome three new member organisations to our network: Átlátszó.hu from Hungary, RUIDO Photo from Spain, and the Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) from Slovakia.
These additions strengthen our shared capacity to build resilient, independent public interest media across Europe, and they reflect the diversity of forms that such journalism can take today.
A returning member: Átlátszó.hu
Átlátszó.hu is Hungary’s first investigative journalism nonprofit and watchdog NGO, promoting transparency, accountability and freedom of information. Since 2011, it has combined hard-hitting investigations with tools for whistleblowers and citizens, including an anonymous leaks platform and a freedom-of-information request generator.
We are proud to welcome Átlátszó back into Reference, their return is a strong signal of the value of sustained collaboration between independent investigative media across borders. Their experience operating under intense political pressure and smear campaigns makes their leadership and know-how particularly valuable to peers facing similar challenges.
Visual Voices Join the Circle: RUIDO Photo
Based in Barcelona, RUIDO Photo, is a nonprofit organisation that uses documentary photography and visual storytelling to highlight social problems and human rights violations. Since 2004, the team has combined long-term journalistic projects with exhibitions, books, workshops and educational campaigns, always insisting that what matters most are the stories and communities behind the images.
By welcoming a photojournalism-led organisation into Reference, we broaden the range of formats and expertise in our network, from digital and print to visual and participatory storytelling. This opens new possibilities for collaboration between member outlets on cross-border visual investigations, audience engagement and impact-driven storytelling.
A new country in our map: ICJK from Slovakia
The Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) is the first institution in Slovakia dedicated solely to investigative journalism. Founded in 2018 in response to the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, the centre continues Kuciak’s work by uncovering organised crime, corruption, money laundering, environmental abuses and disinformation.
With ICJK, Reference now includes a member from Slovakia, adding an important geography to our pan-European network and strengthening our presence in Central and Eastern Europe. ICJK also serves as a cooperation hub for local and international media, which aligns closely with our mission to collectively solve problems no organisation can address alone.
Why this matters for Reference
These three organisations embody what Reference was created to support: independent, mission-driven journalism in the public interest, often operating in difficult environments. Together they bring:
- New geography: stronger representation from Central and Eastern Europe with Slovakia, and renewed connection to Hungary and Spain.
- New formats: documentary and photojournalism as core tools for public interest storytelling, alongside text, audio and digital investigations already present in the network.
- Deep expertise: from watchdog litigation and transparency tools to cross-border investigative cooperation and visual evidence-building.
As a self-organised network of independent news publishers, Reference exists to provide a trusted space where leaders can share organisational knowledge, build sustainable business models and support each other through common challenges. With Átlátszó.hu, RUIDO Photo and ICJK joining us, that shared space becomes richer, more diverse and better equipped to defend and reimagine public interest journalism across Europe.