Home | Pulse - Europe beyond the beat

PULSE is an initiative coordinated by OBCT that has been promoting intensive journalistic cross-border collaborations in Europe since 2024. Its main aim is to help strengthen the European public sphere by reporting on and telling stories from new and diverse perspectives.

At the heart of PULSE are 10 leading national news outlets (Delfi – Lithuania, Deník Referendum – Czechia, Der Standard – Austria, EfSyn – Greece, El Confidencial – Spain, Gazeta Wyborcza – Poland, HotNews – Romania, HVG – Hungary, Il Sole 24 Ore – Italy, Mediapool – Bulgaria) and three transnational organisations, including OBCT , n-ost and Voxeurop .

Additional outlets and journalists are involved as associate partners, including EUobserver , Føljeton (Denmark), H-Alter (Croatia), Levila (Estonia), Rubryka (Ukraine), and The Journal Investigates (Ireland).

PULSE is driven by a sort of virtual transnational newsroom made up of journalists from all the publications involved. It collaboratively produces new journalistic content on European issues on a daily basis, coming in many different languages. The editorial output amounts to over a thousand publications per year, mostly in article form.

PULSE also runs 4 thematic networks open to any European journalist interested in crucial issues such as EU enlargement, relations between the EU and other global powers, the EU’s green transition, or media and the information society. These networks function as online communities and periodically publish calls for pitches.

Spain has "suspended" sex education programs in schools, while France is making them mandatory

There aren't enough deaths to fill all the funeral homes in Spain, but it's still a very profitable business

Who are you going to believe: the government or what you see on your social media feeds?

"There have been a very high number of illnesses for almost two months." Cases of COVID-19 have increased in Romania and other European countries. / What are the symptoms of the new variant?

Brussels takes the next step towards establishing an EU drone defence system

Bulgaria is being used as a model in Romania regarding the second pillar of the pension system

The shortage of medications has reached unprecedented levels: the situation in Italy and the EU

We are looking for towns that want a cinema to help revive local film screenings

What might soon change regarding mandatory military service in Austria

600 million bottles were collected by Romanians in a single month through recycling machines. This is the target for the coming years

Europe is facing a shortage of medications: This is why paracetamol is unavailable in France, amoxicillin is scarce in Bulgaria, and antidepressants are lacking in Spain

How will climate change affect water scarcity? Should Poland and Europe be concerned?

Record levels of medicine shortages are being reported across Europe

The Bolojan government cited examples from various countries when it implemented measures to limit withdrawals from private pension schemes. How does it work in these "example countries"?

Private pension payments: What the government hasn't told you about the money you can withdraw. How it works in other countries

A European plan is taking shape to address the housing crisis

Sex education remains a sensitive topic in many European countries

Romanians are among the least frequent moviegoers in Europe. "At a time when we need to defend our democracy, culture is not being encouraged." / What other countries are doing

The cost of raising children is exacerbating the demographic crisis

How Romania ended up closing thousands of cinemas. "It was a phenomenon that severely impacted the performance of any Romanian film," says Tudor Giurgiu - INFOGRAPHIC

Chat monitoring: The Hungarian government also wants to access private messages, citing child protection as the reason

Deer, bears, wild boars: Are more and more wild animals moving into cities?

Drones in Poland are being used in Romania, Germany, and Denmark. Will a European solution be found?

Trump suggests excluding Spain from NATO – but why?

Laura Codruta Kövesi: It is characteristic that Hungary did not join the European Public Prosecutor's Office

Mostly legal, but often unavailable. Abortion remains a contentious issue in Europe

500 Internal Server Error

Animal cruelty: Citizens file thousands of reports, but what happens to these cases in the justice system? "In a European country, you face a lifetime ban"

Israeli soldiers intercepted another flotilla of activists, again in international waters

Poles and countries in the Baltic region accuse Merkel of spreading Russian propaganda

The somewhat unusual asylum crisis in Ireland

Ukrainian refugees are becoming a new target for Europe's far-right movements

Merkel blames Poland and the Baltic states for contributing to the war in Ukraine

Europe and Lithuania are embarrassed: students don't understand why sex education classes still exist

FEATURE STORY: Are Ukrainians "ungrateful for the help they receive"? "When we got out of the Uber and saw the driver, we were speechless with amazement"

Is there a "gap" in Bulgaria's airspace? NATO is increasing measures to counter Russian drones

Wild boars and other exotic wildlife: the result of urbanization at the expense of forests

Desperately searching for the "culprit," even if it's the wrong one..

The Babiš party, ANO, has won a pivotal election in the Czech Republic

The conditions set by Romania to attract digital nomads are stricter than those in Spain. "For this trend to develop, the involvement of authorities is necessary." / What other countries are doing

"They don't speak English in the faculty": The challenges faced by international students in Bulgaria

NOW

Why has Romania lagged behind in an area that attracts many foreigners to other European countries, despite the fact that "we have excellent infrastructure – fast internet and affordable living costs"?

"It matters a great deal whether you want to do things properly or not." How do Romanian patients actually eat in hospitals? What are the differences between the menus compared to those in hospitals in Austria and Spain?

Former Prime Minister Babiš is poised for a clear election victory in the Czech Republic

How well are we prepared for drone attacks?

The Italian film industry is experiencing renewed growth, with an increase of 11.5 million viewers over the past year. Meanwhile, Hollywood's market share is declining

The president of a regulatory authority in Romania is paid by the state with €15,000 per month, which is significantly more than a minister earns in Spain. Here's how things stand in other European countries

The sudden, but foreseeable, end of the Gaza Sumud aid flotilla

The wave of sexual liberation is sweeping across Europe