This is a major event that is opening, and it is dedicated to the role of information in our society, the place we give it, the place it takes, and the impact of the major upheavals we have experienced over several decades.
What do we expect from it? Not much, we might begin by answering, with the disillusionment and doubt so characteristic of those who stubbornly insist on their independence. We will address here topics related to economic models, financing, and thus to news organizations.
Everyone has a say, because the media industry is at a crossroads. It is planned to modify regulations on important issues such as funding, relations with platforms, editorial independence, information reliability, market concentration, among others. This is serious business on paper. Every publisher, every trade union, will be able to try to play an important role in the weeks to come, whether through official statements, public hearings or behind-the-scenes lobbying. This is our first and modest contribution to a work whose final outcome is uncertain, but which, in our view, deserves to be invested in.
Revolutionize press subsidies
That's fortunate: the media are supported in France by public funding. While the value and even the importance of direct press subsidies are not in question, it is their allocation conditions and criteria that seem to us perpetually outdated.
It is imperative to rethink everything and use support programs as a means of transformation and independence. The allocation criteria are implausibly complex, making them opaque, and continued support for the old guard that refuses to change anything and moves ever further from its audience does not foster trust.
The application and award process seems to us to need revision as well. It appears to us today to leave too much room for questionable practices, with stakeholders sometimes taking advantage of deliberate organizational complexity.
This is why we believe it is essential to better condition press aid allocations, to favor media outlets that commit to developing economic models linked to their audiences, and to add transparency to their distribution.
Support community participation
We know it: digital has reshuffled the deck. While launching a new print newspaper or radio station would have been unthinkable 30 years ago, it's possible today. This has happened through the emergence of new business models more closely tied to audiences, such as subscriptions, memberships, and donations.
We believe that mechanisms for readers to participate in the life of media outlets should be made easier and encouraged. After evaluation and possible certification, we would particularly like media outlets to be able to receive tax-deductible donations directly and without intermediaries. We can also consider mechanisms for readers to participate directly in the capital of press companies, which remain to be simplified and encouraged.
Encourage media creation
The establishment of the Fund for Supporting Emergence and Innovation in the Press in 2016, leading to the creation of a subsidy known as the "Emergence Grant" for press companies less than three years old, represents a major advance in our view.
We advocate for strengthening this fund, which suffers from the same issues as press aid more broadly, and also for adapting its criteria, and those of the Joint Committee for Publications and News Agencies (CPPAP), to new business models. In 2023, a print media outlet publishing two issues per year can qualify for neither CPPAP accreditation nor public funding. Is publication frequency what determines a media outlet's usefulness or quality? We believe this outdated criterion should be lowered to at least annual frequency.
Expand media and information literacy programs
Growing distrust of the media is no small matter, and it's tempting to point the finger at young people as the primary drivers of fake news and other misinformation. But let's be honest, that's neither fair nor productive. The challenge is far broader and spans all levels of our society. Yes, it's crucial to educate young people about media literacy, but let's not neglect the rest of the population. The pitfalls of misinformation, polarization, and cynicism are far from being the exclusive domain of youth.
Why not then consider media literacy programs funded by public resources that would be available to everyone? Workshops for seniors, online education modules for working adults, and of course, strengthened programs for younger students. Let's implement initiatives that span from primary school to retirement homes.
It is high time we understood that media literacy is a collective responsibility. It is not merely about preventing misinformation, but also about preserving and strengthening our social and democratic fabric. This is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
Support and strengthen independent local media
Local media represent a vital pillar of democracy, yet there are far too few of them, and they are highly concentrated. It has become essential, even urgent, to establish a genuine support fund dedicated to pluralism and the defense of local media. This is not merely a stopgap measure, but a long-term investment in the common good.
This fund would serve a dual purpose. On one hand, it would provide financial stability to local news outlets so they can continue their role as watchdogs, often the first to highlight local issues overlooked by the national press. On the other hand, it would act as a catalyst for journalistic innovation at the local level. New forms of journalism, closer collaboration with the public, and experiments with digital media could be supported and accelerated.
Truly diversify voices
Ensuring a diversity of opinions and perspectives is not just a catchy slogan, it's a vital necessity for public debate. Without this variety, our public debate would be sterile, biased, even frankly manipulative. This isn't only about political diversity, but also social and cultural diversity. Do we want a media landscape that reflects only the opinions of those in power?
So why not make media funding contingent on their ability to reflect this diversity? This would not be censorship or even invasive regulation, but rather a structured incentive to enrich our media landscape. Funding could be allocated based on very specific criteria related to representation.
This kind of conditioning would not be limited to ideologies, but would also extend to social and cultural aspects. This could mean promoting in particular voices from diverse backgrounds, from different social classes, of varying ages.
Such a system would require careful implementation to avoid unintended consequences. Conditioning funding on a representation of social, cultural, and political diversity is not, in our view, an intrusion on press freedom, but rather a way to ensure that this freedom genuinely serves everyone. It would be a bold step forward in enriching our collective conversation and making our democracy more robust, more inclusive, and ultimately more representative of the society it is meant to serve.
Incorporating ecological urgency
Integrating the ecological emergency into how we live, work, and make political decisions has become imperative. It can no longer be a peripheral concern, but must become central to every aspect of society. This requires a fundamental overhaul of our education, economic, and governmental systems to align them with environmental sustainability. In this context, media has a crucial role to play in treating climate and biodiversity questions not as isolated subjects, but as cross-cutting issues that interact with social justice, politics, and economics. Such integration will not only allow us to better understand the gravity and urgency of the situation, but also catalyze a shift in attitude and action commensurate with the challenges we must face. Integrating the ecological emergency into public policies related to media and notably into their funding is essential.
Come what may
At a time when a crisis of confidence is eroding our democracies and digital technology is disrupting our habits, the importance of the press and media has never been greater, yet also more fragile. Rethinking the French media system is far from a matter of technocratic concern; it is about the vitality of our social contract, the robustness of our institutions and, let's not shy away from saying it, the survival of our planet.
The path that lies before us is fraught with uncertainties. But in this political venture, whose success time will tell, one thing is certain: remaining inactive would be the worst of options.
