FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION . .
An article from Coop-Medias
One year after its creation, Coop-médias, the citizen cooperative that supports, promotes, and defends independent media, has reached a key milestone in its mission to promote media pluralism: funding independent media outlets.
Basta!, Fracas, Marsactu, Street-Press, and Vert: these are the names of the first five media outlets supported by Coop-médias, one year before its launch in October 2024. From among the dozen or so projects submitted, these five outlets were chosen by the cooperative’s Board of Directors, which prioritized the potential to strengthen their business models as well as their impact on media pluralism and quality.
Why raise funds?
Largely underfunded by both public programs and the private banking system, independent media outlets struggle to invest in developing stable business models. Coop-médias addresses this need by raising citizen savings to finance media projects of general interest, essential for media pluralism.
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(Click here for the French original of this article.)
Free flow of information, How is it important for a culture of peace?
How can we develop the institutional framework for a culture of peace?
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Indeed, thanks to its cooperative model based on citizen participation, pooling resources, and transparency, Coop-médias raised over €850,000 in its first year of operation, €250,000 of which will be allocated to this initial funding.
So, what exactly will they do with this money?
Basta! – €50,000 over 4 years: creation of an online portal for independent media offering an alternative to Google News with over 80 French and 250 international sources, to increase the visibility of the richness and diversity of the independent press.
Fracas – €55,000 over 7 years: funding for a new editorial format, a hybrid of traditional journalism and a manual, designed to encourage mobilization around major societal issues, beginning with the publication of a first special issue: “A Manual for Media Response.”
Marsactu – €30,000 over 5 years: complete overhaul of the community management system (subscribers, newsletters, social media, etc.) on a shared technical platform across multiple media outlets. Local independents to reduce dependence on Big Tech.
StreetPress – €50,000 over 4 years: strengthening the media outlet’s economic tools with a view to increasing coverage of the far right in France and redesigning the website with an eco-design and digital commons approach that can benefit the ecosystem.
Vert – €50,000 over 5 years: developing podcast content production and structuring the video department with the aim of creating new, innovative, and accessible formats to reach new audiences and strengthen its impact on environmental issues.
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