ORGANISATIONS

Reference is a self-organised network of independent European news publishers. The network fosters mutual support in addressing non-editorial organisational and business challenges, and collectively advocates for the wellbeing and financial sustainability of independent, public interest media.

Attending the Μedia Village will be:

Johanna Pisco is a journalist and Project Manager, bringing extensive experience coordinating complex initiatives across media, civil society, and the private sector. With a background in journalism and content research, she has collaborated with leading media outlets and private companies as a reporter, community manager, bilingual copywriter, and multimedia coordinator.

Known for a strategic mindset and hands-on approach, Johanna excels in research, innovation, operations, and planning.

Her current work focuses on strengthening independent media through collaborative practices that drive impact, resilience, and sustainability.

Cecilia Anesi is co-founder of the investigative journalism centre IRPI, which is part of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the OCCRP Network. She is the director of the IRPI center and takes care of institutional relations. As an investigative journalist for IrpiMedia, IRPI's online newspaper, she collaborates on international projects on organized crime and finance, drug trafficking, the environment and gender violence. Cecilia has worked on various transnational investigation teams such as #DaphneProject, #CartelProject, #OpenLux, #SuisseSecrets and #RussianAssetTracker.

Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro is a co-founder and journalist at Fumaça, an investigative journalism podcast focused on injustices and inequalities that creates serialized audio-documentaries. In the past, through sometimes years-long investigations, Fumaça has covered the private security sector, European anti-refugee policies, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the climate crisis, natural-gas drilling and mental healthcare. The project is on track to become the first audience-funded newsroom in Portugal, while keeping its journalism nonprofit, ad-free, radically transparent, and without paywalls, investors, or corporate-sponsored content.