Launch a free media outlet that’s accessible to everyone! An idea that requires finding alternative financial resources. These can be based on targeted advertising, like Hétéroclite; on sponsorships, like Cafétech; or on donations, like Reporterre.
Focus on Targeted Advertising
Hétéroclite is a bimonthly magazine covering local LGBTQI+ news, distributed free of charge in Lyon, Grenoble, and Saint-Étienne. The magazine is funded entirely by advertising and does not receive any grants. The advertisements align with the magazine’s editorial line: they come from cultural organizations, local businesses, and municipalities. Recently, Hétéroclite has branched out into publishing. Switching to a paid subscription model would mean catering to a smaller audience; this model allows Hétéroclite to have a print run of 20,000 copies.
Consider Sponsorship
Cafétech is a tech newsletter launched in September 2020. For the past few months, Jérôme Marin, its author, has been monetizing it through sponsorships from Google and fintech startups. This allows him to pay himself a salary. The brand appears as an ad insert at the beginning or end of the newsletter. So far, Jérôme has never featured a sponsor that isn’t consistent with his content. Most importantly, making it free ensures access for as many people as possible!
Relying on the Gift
Reporterre, the online daily dedicated to environmental issues, is completely free. Why? From the very beginning, this model has proven to be the one most in line with the values of independence and information sharing championed by the media outlet. Reporterre launched and grew by betting on financial dependence on its readers. The added bonus? Promoting transparency by publishing the outlet’s financial statements to explain to readers who are still hesitant exactly how their donations will be used…
