An example apache virtual host config for internal proxying. A wonderous hack if you lack control of DNS servers and need to test a site on a device that doesn't let you modify the hosts file.

10.0.0.10.conf

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName 10.0.0.10

        # Set url to proxy
        ProxyPass / http://hosts.domain.dev/
        ProxyPassReverse / http://hosts.domain.dev/

        # Set location
        <location />
                # Set url
                ProxyPass http://hosts.domain.dev/

                # Ouput html from proxy filter
                SetOutputFilter proxy-html

                # Add referer hack (if the site uses referrer as security)
                Header add referer "http://hosts.domain.dev"
                RequestHeader set referer "http://hosts.domain.dev"

                # Overwrite html, exchange urls with proxied (like href, src, etc.)
                ProxyHTMLExtended On
                ProxyHTMLURLMap http://hosts.domain.dev  http://10.0.0.10
		
		# For items that use style="background-image:url()"
		ProxyHTMLEvents style

		# You can add more url maps to overwrite if there are subdomains
		# that you want/need to override
                ProxyHTMLURLMap http://static.domain.dev  http://10.0.0.10

                # Rewrite Cookie domain if the site uses sessions as an identifier
		# i.e. PHPSESSID
                ProxyPassReverseCookieDomain .domain.dev 10.0.0.10
        </location>
</VirtualHost>

The relevant request for the main content is made against medium.com and I think they check the referer in other way as usual.
It's an interessting problem - this is the first website that makes troubles with a reverse proxy. :-(