The Loop is a Journalism Value Project podcast, brought to you by Reference, a self-organized network of 26 European independent news outlets, hosted by Arena for Journalism.

We are interviewing the members of this network about key challenges for them, ranging from funding and business models, to community engagement and organizational structures, as we explore what success and sustainability looks like for European independent media today.

On today’s episode we will be talking to Mick ter Reehorst, the co-founder of Are We Europe, a non-profit media collective dedicated to innovation and diversity in the European media landscape.

The collective supports emerging talents in Europe and promotes the creation of inclusive pan-European media initiatives, focusing on the underrepresented media makers and creatives.

Are We Europe uses innovative methods such as design sprints and solutions journalism to build media projects that are relevant to the local communities, and are interesting to a European audience as well.