A chat network built around the news

Breaking news.
Informed conversation.

Join #newsroom, where the top three Reuters headlines post at the top of every hour, and talk them through with people who follow the news as closely as you do.

Chat in your browser Use your own IRC app

Free and ad-free
Encrypted connections only
Private: your address is always masked

Hourly headlines

At the top of each hour, our bot posts the three biggest Reuters stories of the past hour to #newsroom, each with a link to the full article.

Real conversation

No algorithm and no feed. Just people discussing what is happening, in real time, in a channel that is moderated to keep it useful.

Your choice of app

Chat right here in your browser, or connect with any IRC app on your computer or phone. Everything works the same way.

Chat in your browser

The quickest way in. Open the web chat, pick a nickname and press Connect. You will land in #newsroom automatically.

Open the web chat.
Choose a nickname. Letters, numbers and a few symbols, up to 30 characters.
If you have registered your nickname, type its password too. Otherwise leave the password empty.
Press Connect.

Tick Remember me only on a computer you trust. It stores your nickname, and your password if you entered one, in that browser.

Open web chat

Connect with an IRC app

Any modern IRC app works. Use these settings:

Server: irc.reutersmedia.uk
Port: 6697
Encryption: SSL/TLS on (required)
Channel: #newsroom (you join it automatically)
Login: SASL PLAIN with your registered nickname and password (optional)

Have an IRC app installed already? Open Reuters IRC in your app.

Plain, unencrypted connections on port 6667 are not available. Make sure TLS is switched on.

Step-by-step for popular apps

HexChat Windows, Linux

Open HexChat › Network List and click Add. Name the network Reuters IRC.
Click Edit. Replace the server with irc.reutersmedia.uk/6697.
Tick Use SSL for all the servers on this network. Leave Accept invalid SSL certificates unticked.
If you registered your nickname: set Login method to SASL (username + password), then enter your nickname and password.
Close the window and click Connect.

mIRC Windows

Open Tools › Options › Connect › Servers and click Add.
Description Reuters IRC, address irc.reutersmedia.uk, ports +6697. The + turns on SSL.
If you registered your nickname, choose SASL as the login method and enter your password.
Select the new server and click Connect.

Halloy Windows, macOS, Linux

Add this to Halloy's config.toml, then restart Halloy:

[servers.reuters]
nickname = "yournick"
server = "irc.reutersmedia.uk"
port = 6697
use_tls = true
channels = ["#newsroom"]

# Only if you registered your nickname:
[servers.reuters.sasl.plain]
username = "yournick"
password = "yourpassword"

Textual macOS

Choose Server › Add Server.
Server address irc.reutersmedia.uk, port 6697, and tick Connect using SSL/TLS.
Under Identity, set your nickname. If it is registered, add its password under Personal Password, which Textual sends using SASL.
Save and connect.

WeeChat or irssi terminal

# WeeChat
/server add reuters irc.reutersmedia.uk/6697 -tls
/set irc.server.reuters.autojoin "#newsroom"
/set irc.server.reuters.sasl_username "yournick"
/set irc.server.reuters.sasl_password "yourpassword"
/connect reuters

# irssi
/network add -sasl_username yournick -sasl_password yourpassword -sasl_mechanism PLAIN Reuters
/server add -tls -network Reuters irc.reutersmedia.uk 6697
/connect Reuters

Leave out the SASL lines if you have not registered your nickname.

On your phone iOS, Android

Any IRC app with TLS support works. Two well-regarded ones:

iPhone and iPad: Palaver.
Android: Goguma.

Add a network with server irc.reutersmedia.uk, port 6697 and TLS on. Enter your nickname, and your password if you registered it. Or simply use the web chat, which works in any phone browser.

Get started

You can chat without registering. Registering your nickname means nobody else can use it, and it lets you register channels of your own. It takes a few seconds and needs no email address.

Register your nickname

Connect with the nickname you want to keep, wait about 30 seconds, then type:

/msg NickServ REGISTER yourpassword

Choose a strong password you don't use anywhere else. Keep it safe: there is no email reset.

Sign in next time

The best way is to give your app (or the web chat's password box) your nickname and password, so it signs you in automatically using SASL. You can also sign in by hand after connecting:

/msg NickServ IDENTIFY yourpassword

Handy commands

`/join #channel`	Join or create a channel
`/part`	Leave the current channel
`/msg nick message`	Send a private message
`/me waves`	Describe an action
`/nick newname`	Change your nickname
`/msg NickServ SET PASSWORD newpassword`	Change your password (signed in)
`/msg ChanServ REGISTER #channel`	Register a channel you created
`/rules`	Read the network rules
`/motd`	Show the welcome message again

House rules

Be civil. Disagree with arguments, not with people. Personal attacks, slurs and harassment are not allowed.
No threats or doxxing. Never share anyone's personal details.
No spam. No flooding, repeated lines, advertising, unsolicited private messages or mass highlights.
Nothing illegal, and nothing that puts others at risk.
No ban evasion with other nicknames or connections.
Channel operators run their channels. Follow their rules there, as long as they don't conflict with these.
Staff have the final say.

In #newsroom, a moderation bot warns, then mutes, then removes people who flood, repeat themselves or mass-highlight. Network-wide filters stop spam automatically.

Privacy

Your address is masked. Other users see a scrambled host instead of your IP address, and this cannot be switched off.
Every connection is encrypted with TLS, in the web chat and in apps.
What the server keeps. For security and abuse handling, the server records connection details such as your nickname, IP address and connection times for a limited period. The IRC server itself does not archive channel conversations.
Channel history. #newsroom shows recent messages, up to one day, to people who join, so newcomers can catch up.
Registered accounts store your nickname, a securely hashed password and registration details.
This website uses no cookies, analytics, ads or third-party scripts. The web chat stores your settings in your own browser only if you tick Remember me.
Logs kept by users. As with any chat, people in a channel, including network staff, may keep their own logs of conversations they take part in. Many IRC apps do this by default.

Questions

Do I need to register?

No. You can chat straight away. Register if you want to keep your nickname or run your own channel.

I forgot my password.

There is no automatic reset, because the network does not collect email addresses. Email abuse@reutersmedia.uk with your nickname. Staff can reset the password once they are satisfied the nickname is yours.

Someone else is using my nickname.

If your nickname is registered, sign in and type /msg NickServ GHOST yournick to disconnect them, then /nick yournick.

Why can't I message someone privately?

New connections must wait 30 seconds before sending private messages, which stops spam bots. Some users also accept private messages only from people who share a channel with them.

My app says the connection failed.

Check that you are using port 6697 with SSL/TLS switched on. Unencrypted connections are not accepted. If you connect from a VPN or proxy that is known for abuse, you may be blocked automatically; try without it.

Can I start my own channel?

Yes. Type /join #yourchannel, then register it with /msg ChanServ REGISTER #yourchannel so it stays yours.

What is IRC?

Internet Relay Chat is an open chat standard that has been running since 1988. Because it is open, you can use any app you like, from the web chat on this site to dozens of desktop and mobile clients.

Contact

To report abuse, appeal a ban or reach the network staff, email abuse@reutersmedia.uk, or ask in #newsroom.

Breaking news.Informed conversation.