Co-operatives, associations and collectives that are dedicated to the independent press within the social and solidarity economy met in Paris over three days in February with the aim of consolidating a European network that promotes collaboration, the understanding of different experiences and the development of joint projects based on shared needs or complementary skills.

A total of 22 people, representing 14 media organisations or press projects, were in attendance. They discussed the structural bases of the future network and reached an agreement on the key elements to be included in an initial manifesto. The needs, difficulties and pooling required to plan the coming months’ activities were also discussed.

Among the priorities, many delegates were interested in a collaboration on the exchange of content, or the preparation of joint content, where articles on global topics could be brought together in each of the countries.

The meeting was attended by media organisations such as TAZ, a daily newspaper in Berlin which has 250 worker members in its co-operative; and EFSIT, ‘The newspaper of journalists’, from Greece. This has 120 members, and was formed and consolidated after their company went bankrupt.

Italian co-operative magazine Altraeconomía, which in recent years has seen its subscriptions fall by 20%, putting the viability of the project at risk, has decided to diversify the company; the workforce has increased and now offers communication agency services and runs courses on economics and media in schools.

Members of several independent projects, including the long-established Red Pepper magazine from the United Kingdom. Also present were representatives of STIR magazine, the NGO Stir to Action; the UK’s Open Democracy website, Poland’s Political Critique and, from Spain, Alternativas Económicas and the newspaper El Salto.