By Oliver Rohan
By adopting new formats, partnering with organisations, and increasing internship opportunities, two Belgian media outlets are increasing audiences and followers.
Through their LIMENet initiatives, investigative journalism outlets Apache and The Bulletin are transforming their journalism output to become more accessible to youth and students. They are showing that it is possible to halt the decline in trust in traditional news among young audiences.
Apache: connecting with students
Through its LIMENet initiative, part of the broader University Challenge project, Apache is experimenting with new storytelling formats, stronger university partnerships, and student-focused reporting to diversify its readership while maintaining its commitment to in-depth investigative journalism.
For years, Apache has worked to diversify its newsroom by recruiting staff with a wider range of backgrounds and experiences. The next challenge has been expanding that diversity to its audience. Historically, Apache’s readership has consisted largely of older, highly educated professionals. The LIMENet project aims to broaden that audience by making investigative journalism more relevant and accessible to students without compromising the organisation’s editorial standards.
According to Kasper Nollet, a project manager at Apache, the key challenge is not changing what Apache investigates but rather modifying how it presents those investigations to its audience. Many of the organisation’s core stories, including political accountability, government oversight, and corruption, remain highly relevant to its young audience. However, the traditional format of lengthy investigative articles has often failed to capture their attention.
New formats, new audiences and growth
To address this, Apache has introduced a variety of new digital formats alongside its long-form reporting. Short-form videos, Instagram graphics, TikTok content, and humorous social media posts have become important tools for highlighting key findings and directing audiences toward full investigations. Rather than simply summarising articles, these formats emphasise aspects of stories that resonate most with younger audiences while using more accessible language and visual storytelling.
The strategy has already produced measurable results. Apache has seen significant growth in its social media presence, including a substantial increase in Instagram followers and highly active discussion communities on TikTok. More importantly, young audiences are consuming the content and also engaging with it by debating investigations, sharing stories with friends, and creating organic word-of-mouth promotion.
The project has also revealed some unexpected insights about youth interests. While topics such as education policy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict naturally attracted younger readers, investigative stories about local government and real estate corruption also performed well when presented through engaging digital formats. This challenged the assumption that students are only interested in issues directly affecting university life. Instead, the project suggests that younger audiences care deeply about accountability and misuse of power when stories are communicated in ways that feel relevant and approachable.
Student engagement key to success
One of the most valuable lessons from the project has been the importance of listening directly to students. Apache’s team has found that understanding students’ perspectives requires engaging with them rather than assuming what topics matter most. Feedback through Instagram discussions and other social media conversations has helped generate new reporting ideas while giving journalists insight into how younger readers interpret current events.
The Bulletin: community-focused reporting strengthening local journalism
The Bulletin is using its LIMENet project to strengthen its role as Belgium’s leading English-language news outlet. Through investments in public-service journalism, digital modernisation, and student engagement, the project is helping the publication build a more sustainable future while continuing to serve the country’s international community. For Editor-in-Chief Sarah Crew, the project represents an opportunity to invest in areas that reflect The Bulletin’s core strengths.
One of the initiative’s central components is a 10-part series exploring mental health among expatriates and migrants living in Belgium. The articles address challenges people face throughout different stages of life, from settling into a new country to navigating family relationships and personal well-being. Each story combines reporting with practical resources, directing readers to organisations and support networks that can provide assistance.
The focus on mental health was a natural fit for The Bulletin. Crew has covered the topic extensively throughout her career and is actively involved in mental health advocacy, allowing the newsroom to build on existing expertise while addressing an area where English-language resources remain limited. Rather than producing content with only short-term news value, the series is designed to become an evergreen resource that partner organisations throughout Belgium can continue sharing with international communities.
Alongside its editorial work, the project has accelerated The Bulletin’s efforts to modernise its digital presence. Before LIMENet, the newsroom relied on a relatively traditional social media strategy. Support from an external consultant has allowed the publication to rethink how it promotes stories online, while expanding its use of multimedia content, newsletters, and search engine optimisation to better reach readers across digital platforms.
Engaging youth for fresh perspectives
The project has also introduced something entirely new for the newsroom: a structured journalism internship programme. Two student interns joined The Bulletin during the first half of 2026, bringing fresh perspectives in reporting, digital media, and social media marketing. One intern focused primarily on news reporting, covering everything from cultural events and demonstrations to community stories, while the second contributed to Instagram content and broader audience engagement.
Crew said the internships quickly became one of the project’s greatest successes. Rather than assigning students routine tasks, the newsroom encouraged them to pursue stories aligned with their interests while learning the realities of local journalism in Brussels.
“It was like a breath of fresh air,” Crew said. “We wanted to do things they would find interesting while also learning from their perspectives.”
The experience has changed how The Bulletin approaches young journalists. Although the LIMENet funding supported the initial placements, Crew says the newsroom now plans to continue taking interns in the future after developing a mentoring process that works for such a small organisation.
“We’re at a pivotal moment for local and community media. Legacy audiences and revenue continue their relentless slide, yet new possibilities are rising,” says MDIG’s LIMENet project manager, Josh LaPorte. “What we’re seeing across our grant programmes is unmistakable: youth engagement — especially building news habits early — is now being recognised as part of any durable local media environment. With creative outreach from Apache and The Bulletin, momentum is accelerating toward truly connecting with youth.”
Challenges
Both projects face challenges. Because Apache has traditionally served an older readership, many newsroom staff members have limited experience with student culture and communication styles. Building relationships with universities, student organisations, and campus publications has therefore become an essential part of the initiative.
For The Bulletin, a lean newsroom, the challenge has been balancing ambitious new initiatives with the demands of daily journalism. Crew noted that administrative project reporting requirements have often competed with editorial deadlines, a common reality for small independent publishers where journalists frequently manage reporting, business operations, and audience development simultaneously. Despite these challenges, one of the project’s most significant outcomes has been less tangible. Through LIMENet, The Bulletin has become part of a wider network of independent publishers, providing opportunities to exchange ideas, share experiences, and learn from organisations facing similar challenges.
“It’s been nice not working on our own anymore,” Crew reflected. “It’s really injected energy into us… and it’s definitely given us confidence.”
Sustainability
At Apache, the team believes the project has already demonstrated its long-term value. By combining rigorous investigative reporting with contemporary storytelling techniques, Apache is proving that young audiences are interested in serious journalism when it is presented in formats that fit their media habits. The organisation maintains that transparency, evidence-based reporting, and clearly documented investigations remain central to building trust with younger readers.
Looking ahead, The Bulletin sees the project as more than a series of individual initiatives. The mental health reporting, strengthened digital strategy, and internship programme have all created systems that will continue beyond the funding period. By combining trusted local journalism with new approaches to audience engagement and newsroom development, the publication is positioning itself to better serve Belgium’s international community while adapting to the changing realities of independent media.
LIMENet empowers local and independent media outlets by providing them with the support and necessary skills and resources to produce quality reporting while remaining economically viable. The aim is to foster collaboration and improve the resilience of local media in the face of challenges such as technological disruption and disinformation.
