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 … Read more

Reference Circle’s Autumn Knowledge Exchange with Civitates brought our communities together ahead of the inaugural Breakwater Festival – and carried the conversation about organisational sustainability into its wider programme. Independent journalism needs more than strong reporting. It also needs sustainable organisations, supported teams and relationships that make it possible to learn from one another. On … Read more

Reference Circle’s governing body (the G5) is an elected group of five member representatives who steer the network between General Assemblies. They set priorities, hold the director to account, represent the membership in strategic decisions, and carry the day-to-day responsibility of keeping a network of thirty-four independent newsrooms moving in the same direction. It is, … Read more

Mechelen was always going to be a big meeting. Last month, the Reference Circle gathered in Belgium’s Flanders region for its annual Spring Meeting, and left with decisions that will shape the network for years to come. By the time over two thirds of member organisations sat down together at Thomas More Campus on May … Read more

Every year, the International Journalism Festival (IJF) in Perugia brings together a couple of thousand journalists and media professionals to talk about the state of the industry. This year, on its 20th anniversary, some of the most useful conversations weren’t about journalism itself –  they were about what it takes to keep journalism organisations alive. … Read more

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 … Read more

The 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC25) brought together reporters, editors and media builders from across the world to Kuala Lumpur this November, and Reference members were there in force to share skills, ideas and new collaborations. Set against the backdrop of Malaysia’s capital, the conference underlined why cross‑border, independent public‑interest journalism remains essential – … Read more

At IPI’s milestone Congress in Vienna, Reference members brought stories of innovation, resilience and collaboration to life, showing how journalists across borders are shaping the future of independent media. From 23 to 25 October, Vienna became a hub of energy and exchange as more than 600 journalists and media innovators from over 100 countries gathered … Read more

A conversation about leadership, collaboration, and the future of independent media in Europe. Reference has appointed Peter Matjašič as its new Network Director, marking the beginning of a new phase for the growing European network of independent public-interest media. Peter brings more than 15 years of experience in European civil society, philanthropy, and journalism. Based … Read more

Amsterdam, September 2025 – Reference is delighted to welcome seven new members to its growing European network of independent, public-interest media organisations. The new members: FADA Collective (Italy), BIRC Institute (North Macedonia), Solomon (Greece), Fundacja Pismo (Poland), The Investigative Desk (Netherlands), Voxeurop (France) and The European Correspondent (Belgium) join Reference as part of the network’s … Read more