What 2026 asks of journalism support

For organisations working in media development, the challenge is no longer only to respond to change, but to do so in ways that strengthen long-term capacity rather than fragment it further.

The European Journalism Centre is an intermediary organisation operating at the heart of the journalism ecosystem. We work between funders, policymakers, technology partners, and news organisations to strengthen independent, public-interest journalism across Europe. We do so based on a consistent set of convictions: that resources must reach journalists and media organisations directly, that convening people across borders and disciplines serves a clear purpose, and that shared knowledge and infrastructure are essential to the resilience of the sector.

At the same time, the environment in which this work takes place is changing structurally. Press freedom continues to deteriorate across Europe and beyond. Philanthropic funding is consolidating, with major funders increasingly prioritising fewer, more resilient partners capable of delivering long-term, system-level impact. Expectations around compliance, security, and governance have risen significantly. Support from the technology sector has declined sharply, with many journalism-focused programmes now discontinued. European Commission-funded programmes remain essential, but increasingly favour large, administratively complex consortia that require strong coordination and infrastructure to function effectively. They also require additional funding, which is increasingly complex to obtain.

These shifts are not temporary. They are reshaping how journalism support is organised, delivered, and sustained.

The EJC has operated successfully within this environment, drawing on more than three decades of experience. At the same time, these structural changes create pressures that cannot be addressed through project innovation alone. They require attention to infrastructure, coordination, and long-term institutional capacity.

When this infrastructure is under-resourced, the effects are not always immediate or visible. They appear as fewer opportunities for journalists to collaborate across borders, longer gaps between funding rounds, less support for early-career reporters, and weaker coordination between initiatives that should reinforce each other. Over time, this quietly limits who can participate in journalism and what kind of work becomes possible. Funders should continue to recognise that.

As the EJC enters its 34th year, we are approaching 2026 with focus, restraint, and responsibility. Not because ambition has diminished, but because sustaining journalism support requires deliberate choices about where coordination, continuity, and collaboration matter most.

Intermediary organisations play a central role in this landscape. Rather than producing journalism ourselves, we enable others to do so more sustainably, more collaboratively, and with greater reach. Intermediaries provide the infrastructure and connective tissue that allow funding, knowledge, and partnerships to translate into durable outcomes for journalists and newsrooms.

This work is not a substitute for journalism. It is what allows journalism support to function at scale, across borders, and over time.

Looking ahead, radical collaboration will be increasingly decisive. Not as a slogan, but as a practical necessity. Strategic alignment, shared systems, and coordinated approaches are what enable media development organisations to meet rising expectations without duplicating effort or weakening the ecosystem they aim to support.

As our core work continues, including programmes such as IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance, we will navigate this period by strengthening existing partnerships, working through consortia where they add value, and deepening collaboration with organisations that share our commitment to independent journalism.

Sustaining this work depends on long-term, independent support for the infrastructure that allows journalism to function beyond individual projects.

2026 is a year for deliberate choices about where scale, coordination, and leadership matter most for journalism support. Building strong, trusted networks and alliances now is how we ensure that independent journalism in Europe remains viable in the years ahead.