Research that gets used
Media support runs on decisions, and decisions run on evidence. We do commissioned research for the organizations that fund and support independent journalism — including Reporters Without Borders, the JX Fund, the European Endowment for Democracy, the Thomson Reuters Foundation and others — as well as for media companies making their own strategic calls.
Our studies have been cited by the Reuters Institute, Columbia's Global Freedom of Expression and Internet Policy Review.
What we research
How we work
Most of our studies are mixed-method: quantitative data to size the problem,
qualitative work to explain it.
Depending on the question, that includes:
- Representative surveys— national opinion polls (CAWI) with samples of 1,000+ respondents.
- Platform & web analytics— social media data across YouTube, Telegram and TikTok; traffic analysis via Semrush and SimilarWeb.
- Desk research & benchmarking— content analysis at scale, benchmarked against 100+ comparable providers where needed.
- Expert & stakeholder interviews— structured and semi-structured, from newsroom managers to platform representatives.
- Long-term monitoring— narrative and sector tracking over months, including full-population dashboards of exiled media.
- Statistical analysis— from descriptive statistics to regression and factor analysis.
Who you'll work with
For country-specific studies we commission local experts from our network of 30+ practitioners across Europe — people who know the market from inside, not from a desk.
Recent case study
Context.After 2022, Russian independent journalism moved abroad almost entirely. The JX Fund — set up to support exiled media — needed a sector-wide picture to guide its strategy: who survived, how they work, and whether they still reach audiences inside Russia.
What we did.Analyzed the full population of 93 exiled media projects; combined desk research and expert interviews with quantitative data from the JX Fund Exiled Media Dashboard; ran comparative social media analytics across YouTube, Telegram and TikTok.
Results.The study showed exiled media stillreach 6-9% of Russia's adult population — evidence now cited by the Reuters Institute and Reporters Without Borders, and used to make the case for continued European support of exiled journalism.
Commissioning a study?
Tell us the decision you need evidence for — we'll come back with a proposed scope, methods and timeline.
If the question doesn't need a full study, we'll tell you that too.
