This November, Reference Circle turns five. Since our first gathering in 2021, we have been building a community where people leading independent media organisations can speak openly about shared challenges, learn from one another, and find practical support for the work behind public-interest journalism.
This year, we have another reason to celebrate: six journalistic organisations have joined the network, and one has returned. The Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak (ICJK), Long Play, Mediapool, RUIDO Photo, Unbias the News and Vers Beton – and we welcomed back Átlátszó.
Growing the network is not an end in itself. What matters is who joins the conversation, what we can learn from one another and where those relationships lead. New colleagues bring experience others can draw on, but also questions that challenge our assumptions and help us understand where support is needed.
Different approaches, a shared commitment
What connects us is a commitment to independent, public-interest journalism. How to organise, fund and deliver that journalism varies considerably. Our newest members reflect that diversity, from reporting rooted in one city to investigations and collaborations that cross borders.
Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) · Slovakia
Established in 2018 after the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak, the ICJK continues his legacy through independent reporting. It collaborates with other newsrooms to pool expertise and support organisations in ambitious investigations.
Our first Nordic member, Long Play, brings experience of journalist-owned, reader-funded publishing. Founded in 2013, it specialises in long-form and investigative journalism, giving reporters the time and space to explore complex subjects. Its approach opens up useful conversations around ownership, subscriptions, and making in-depth reporting sustainable beyond the daily news cycle.
Established in 2001, Mediapool brings more than two decades of experience in independent digital journalism. Through reporting and analysis, it helps readers understand political and public life.
The team sustains that work amid political pressure, financial constraints and legal challenges, giving much to share. It highlights organisations’ resilience and protects editorial independence.
Unbias the News is a feminist cross-border newsroom focused on who gets to tell stories – and whose knowledge is recognised. It works with journalists facing structural barriers, placing inclusion and the redistribution of storytelling power at the centre of its mission. That raises important questions for all of us: whose expertise do we value, how do we work together fairly, and who is still missing from the conversation?
Vers Beton makes independent journalism for Rotterdam, with a mission rooted in a fairer city and stronger local democracy. Its reporting examines the decisions and power structures shaping residents’ lives, while its reader-supported model connects that work to the community it serves. For colleagues working on audience relationships and local revenue, there is plenty to exchange.
Welcome back: Átlátszó · Hungary
We are also very pleased to welcome back Átlátszó. This non-profit investigative newsroom and watchdog organisation promotes transparency, accountability and freedom of information. Its return reconnects the network with extensive experience of investigative reporting and the persistent work of making information available in the public interest.
What we can build together
These organisations work in different markets, with different formats, audiences and sources of income. There is no single model that would work for all of them. Consequently, exchanging experience matters.
A conversation about subscriptions may help another organisation rethink its relationship with readers. A colleague’s experience of governance, fundraising or managing a difficult transition may offer someone else a useful starting point. Sometimes the most valuable outcome is a practical suggestion or a trusted person to call, rather than a new project.
That is the kind of network we want to keep building: one where colleagues can share what has worked, be honest about what has not, and ask for help without needing to have everything figured out.
As we enter our sixth year, our new and returning members will help shape what comes next not simply by joining our activities, but by bringing their own questions, offering their experience and identifying where working together can make a difference.