The Europeans Podcast Launches First Listener-Funded Political Miniseries | Who Does It Best?
For the first time in its eight-year history, The Europeans, one of Europe’s most acclaimed podcasts, has launched a fully crowd-funded investigative political miniseries. Titled Who Does It Best?, the series signals a major evolution in how the show approaches journalism, storytelling, and audience engagement.
Known for its clever blend of culture, politics, and continental character, The Europeans has built a reputation for spotlighting the humanity behind the headlines. Now, with this new project, the podcast aims to offer something bigger, bolder, and more solutions-focused than ever before.
The Europeans has long been supported by grants, Patreon contributors, and partnerships. But this is the first time listeners have directly funded a specific editorial investigation, marking a crucial moment for independent media.
Project title:Who Does It Best?
Funding model: 100% listener-funded
Total raised: €15,000
Timeline: Goal reached in just two months
Focus: Cross-border reporting on housing, childcare, and drug policies
This shift not only highlights the trust the audience places in the team but also reflects how independent journalism is increasingly turning to direct community support.
What Who Does It Best? Sets Out to Explore
In a continent as diverse as Europe, public policy becomes a kind of living laboratory. Each nation takes its own approach to solving universal problems: How do we house people? Care for children? Tackle drug addiction?
This miniseries dives into those questions through months of cross-border investigative reporting, looking for the countries that are not just trying—but succeeding.
Key Areas of Investigation
Housing policies that actually deliver results
Childcare systems that improve family life
Drug laws that reduce harm and transform communities
Social innovations that could scale across the continent
Rather than focusing on conflict-driven politics, the series is rooted in constructive reporting, examining where policies work and how their lessons can be shared.
A Pan-European Journey: Reporting Across the Continent
Episodes take listeners from:
Paris – exploring innovative housing initiatives
Breda – learning from community-first urban design
Rome – investigating childcare systems
Reykjavik – analysing modern drug policies
This immersive travelogue approach gives listeners a sense of place and context, grounded in real voices and lived experiences.
Why Solutions Journalism?
Many political stories today focus on crisis, conflict, and division. The Europeans team felt it was time to flip the script.
Co-creator Katy Lee described the motivation:
“We wanted this series to be a meaningful contribution at a time when politics feels overwhelmingly bleak. In election after election, we hear people say, ‘Nobody is listening to me.’ Policies—abstract as they seem—can genuinely improve lives.”
A New Editorial Philosophy
The series is designed to:
Highlight policies that work, not just those that fail
Amplify voices often ignored in mainstream political coverage
Provide practical insights for policymakers, journalists, and citizens
Offer hope at a time of widespread political fatigue
This marks a clear shift toward a more activating, solutions-driven journalism that seeks to empower listeners rather than simply inform them.
Crowdfunding Success: A Community Built on Trust
While The Europeans has been supported by grants and membership since its 2017 launch, this project is unique: it’s the first time the team has asked for targeted contributions for a specific editorial initiative.
The response was overwhelming.
Crowdfunding Outcomes:
€15,000 raised directly by listeners
100% of investigative work financed through donations
Funding completed within two months
Demonstrates a deeply engaged, invested audience
Listeners not only bankroll the series—they also shape its direction, offering feedback, ideas, and encouragement throughout the process.
Behind the Microphone: The Team Bringing the Series to Life
The Europeans team has expanded its roster for the miniseries, blending experienced producers with guest reporters from across Europe.
Core Production Team
Dominic Kraemer — Co-host and lead presenter
Katz Laszlo — Producer, known for documentary-style audio work
Wojciech Oleksiak — Producer and investigative journalist
Guest Contributors
One episode is co-reported by:
Maja Stepančič
Uršula Zaletelj
Both are leading voices from the Slovenian parenting podcast Šala za starše, stepping in while co-host Katy Lee is on maternity leave.
Their involvement helps broaden the project’s perspective, ensuring the series is authentically pan-European in both content and contributors.
The Europeans: A History of Reinvention
Who Does It Best? is the latest in a string of innovative long-form projects produced by the team.
Previous Notable Series
The Oatly Chronicles – a deep dive into corporate greenwashing
This Is What a Generation Sounds Like – a documentary portrait of Europe’s youth
Bursting the Bubble – exploring the disinformation crisis
These projects helped position The Europeans as one of the continent’s most creative and rigorous independent podcasts.
The new miniseries builds on this foundation but pushes further—both editorially and creatively.
Partnerships Helping Sustain the Show
While listener support underpins the core of the operation, The Europeans is also backed by Euranet Plus, a consortium of fifteen European radio broadcasters. This additional partnership helps keep the weekly episodes consistent while allowing the team to pursue more ambitious long-form work like Who Does It Best?
Meanwhile, Patreon supporters continue to fund essential production costs, equipment, and reporting resources.
Why This Project Is Resonating Across Europe
In 2025, political disenchantment is at a high. Misinformation, polarisation, economic pressures, and declining trust in institutions have reshaped public debate.
The audience appetite for solutions-oriented, cross-border storytelling is stronger than ever.
What Makes This Series Stand Out
It moves beyond crisis reporting
It prioritises practical, real-world insights
It shows how European countries can learn from each other
It invites listeners into the reporting process
It demonstrates the power of community-funded journalism
By focusing on policies that genuinely improve everyday life, the podcast taps into a collective desire for hope, clarity, and direction.
A New Model for Independent European Journalism?
The success of this crowdfunding initiative could inspire other independent creators across Europe to explore direct audience-funded investigative reporting.
What This Means for the Future
Sustainable journalism models may become more community-driven
Listeners play a more active role in shaping coverage
More projects can be safe from political or commercial pressure
Cross-border collaborations may continue to grow
The Europeans’ experiment demonstrates that audiences are willing to invest directly in journalism they trust—especially when it delivers value beyond the news cycle.
Where to Listen
Who Does It Best? is now available on:
The Europeans’ official podcast feed
Major podcast platforms
The show’s website and Patreon page
Episodes are released weekly, offering deep dives into some of the most important policy issues shaping Europe today.
