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Written by

Owen Huchon

July 28, 2025

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How to better inform yourself on the Internet?

Second stop in our summer series: heading toward the web to take back control. As platforms increasingly dictate the conditions of access to information, how can we regain autonomy in our usage, both as journalists and as readers?

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This article was originally published in Médianes' 10 Links newsletter, sent every other Monday at 2 pm. Sign up here (for free).
  1. INDEPENDENCE (Medians) — The web is slipping away from us, progressively monopolized by tech giants. Result? Growing fatigue, even frustration and the urge to escape the Internet. Yet it is possible (and necessary) to reclaim this space.
  2. PLATFORMS (Nieman Lab) — By delegating to algorithms the task of recommending content to us, we've lost the habit of subscribing. A risk to our digital autonomy, since these systems are far from neutral or balanced. YouTube, for example, favors entertainment over information in its recommendations.

    P.S. Some speak of the end of the community model, where creators no longer write for people, but for opaque algorithms.

  3. PLATFORMS (Cory Doctorow) — Somewhat overlooked but far from obsolete, RSS feeds allow you to create a personalized news feed, offering an effective alternative to platforms. Cory Doctorow, web-focused author and journalist, praises them: a simple, personal tool, free from algorithms.
  4. INSPIRATION (robotameri) — What if you took a gentler approach to the web? The concept of "solarsocial" invites you to replace FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) with JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), by adopting more conscious, mindful digital consumption that follows natural cycles.
  5. INDEPENDENCE (Basta!) — We tend to forget it because their use has become reflexive, but alternatives to GAFAM software definitely exist. Basta! profiles several French actors (Breton ones at that) who develop free solutions and want to challenge the preconceptions surrounding open source tools

    P.S. Do you work in a newsroom that relies on open source tools or are you considering it? We're actually working on an article about this. Get in touch: [email protected]

  6. TOOLS (GIJN) — The Global Investigative Journalism Network offers a comprehensive toolkit to protect your data, encrypt your communications, and strengthen your passwords. You'll learn, for example, that journalists can access the 1Password password manager for free.
  7. GUIDE (First Draft) — Although the project ended in 2022, First Draft's guides have been preserved and remain rich in practical advice: investigating in online discussion spaces, receiving alerts about page changes, spotting misinformation, etc.
  8. INDEPENDENCE (MIT Technology Review) — What if you cultivated your own corner of the Internet? Tired of social media, some internet users have created their own digital garden: a personal refuge online, at the intersection of a diary, blog, and notebook they truly own, far from viral logic.
  9. FORMATS (Medians) — Would you like to create a digital format tailored to your brand? A newsletter can be a simple, effective, and inexpensive solution. Not sure where to start? We've put together a practical guide to walk you through it step by step: tool selection, organization, editorial line…
ANNOUNCEMENT (Médianes) — Need personalized support to launch or grow your newsletter? Médianes, the studio, offers tailored training and packages to help you.
  1. ARCHIVE (Creative Independent) — Summer is the perfect time to get your affairs in order! This guide walks you through organizing, scanning, and archiving your projects, so they don't disappear into the depths of a hard drive or a defunct website.

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