Fumaça

Fumaça is an independent, non-profit Portuguese media outlet specialising in investigative journalism and narrative audio storytelling. Founded in 2016, it is one of Portugal’s most prominent reader-funded journalism initiatives, operating without advertising, commercial sponsorships, or paywalls. Its mission is to produce rigorous, deeply researched reporting that centres on human rights, social justice, and structural inequalities. The newsroom focuses on longform investigations and multi-episode audio series exploring issues such as housing, migration, climate justice, racial discrimination, labour rights, public health, and the functioning of state institutions. Fumaça’s work is characterised by months-long research processes, extensive field reporting, and a commitment to giving a platform to voices and communities often excluded from mainstream media narratives. Supported primarily through grants, donations, and contributions from its community of listeners, Fumaça remains fully independent and transparent in its funding and editorial processes. Its public-interest journalism has contributed to national debates in Portugal and earned recognition for elevating systemic issues that demand political and societal accountability.