This is a question that comes up often in our conversations with project creators, and that was asked of us at the Ground Control Independent Media Festival: is it still necessary to create new media? Behind it lie other questions: is there still a real need? A democratic necessity? And if so, how, and at what cost?
Thanks to the lowering of technical barriers to entry on the web and changing usage patterns, new initiatives continue to emerge, despite an environment of information oversaturation, unstable economic and political conditions, and the growing dominance of GAFAM in their relationship with readers. But, faced with unprecedented media concentration, which directly threatens press pluralism, emerging in isolation is no longer enough. We must continue to create, differently, to build something that lasts. Here's why, and above all, how.
A need to continue bringing new voices to the forefront
Ten years ago, media outlets like Vert, Le Cri, Disclose, Histoires Crépues, Kometa, Blast, Le Grand Continent, Climax, Pays, mūsae, La Déferlante, Les Jours, Mediacités, HugoDécrypte, Louie Media and many others didn't yet exist, or barely did. All of them sprang from a specific gap in the media landscape, whether editorial or economic: free investigative journalism, local news from major cities, colonial history made accessible, ecology with humour and education, destigmatized mental health, current events through a feminist lens… Among them, several that Médianes helped bring to life since 2020.
This multifaceted gap has not disappeared. There are territories without coverage, communities without representation, topics treated superficially or through a single lens. There is also a shortage of suitable formats, viable business models, and sound organizations capable of enduring over time. New needs constantly emerge, and being as close as possible to them is often the starting point for projects that last. Enabling these voices to exist as media remains, even today, a major democratic issue. Because existing through media means existing in the public sphere: feeling represented, heard, and concerned. That is why we must continue to create them.
A context that cannot be ignored
That said, diving in blindly would be a mistake. The context is demanding, and we must face it head-on.
We've never had more access to information, and yet, nearly half of French people say they are affected by information fatigue. Moreover, 61% don't trust the media on major current affairs topics. Media outlets are no longer competing only with each other, but with all digital content: social networks, private messages, series, short videos, games that all demand the same scarce, contested resource: attention.
Creating a new media outlet also means asking yourself why people should devote their time, attention, and sometimes money to you. Let's be honest: at first, your project is essential to no one. It's by identifying your audience precisely and building a relationship with them that it can become so.
The economic and political context adds another layer of complexity, and not a small one: the freeze on press subsidies, a fragile funding model (11% of French people pay for online news), growing pressure and invisibility from platforms. Not to mention accelerating media consolidation, driven in part by anti-democratic forces. This is precisely why the need to raise new, independent and committed voices is stronger than ever.
All this is not meant to discourage, but rather to know what you're getting into.
Create, strengthen: find your own answer
Now that we've taken context into account, two questions come up before diving in (among many others).
The first: is creating a new publication really the right answer? Joining an existing media outlet, forming an alliance, strengthening a project already underway: these are equally legitimate options, sometimes more effective, or even better suited to your goals.
The second: am I ready to take on the responsibilities of an entrepreneurial project? Creating a media outlet is not just about creating an editorial project. It also means building a structure, managing finances, human resources, and a distribution strategy. Whether profitable or not, a media outlet is a full-fledged entrepreneurial project. The question is not about mastering everything from the start, but about being ready to shoulder these responsibilities and knowing how to surround yourself with the right people. Because launching a project often means facing a form of loneliness, that of the entrepreneur (which exists even when surrounded by partners). Structuring an ecosystem around yourself is therefore essential: one made up of experts, other project leaders, other media managers. This both makes your project real and gives you the means to build it solidly.
Don't create more, create better
Building better means laying solid foundations from the start. Too many projects are launched by repeating the same mistakes: over-reliance on a single revenue stream, an organization that depends on one person, a desire to grow too quickly, or working conditions that are not sustainable.
Building an independent and resilient media outlet means establishing solid foundations from the start—editorial ones, of course, but also administrative, managerial, and financial ones. These challenges, too often sidelined, will ultimately determine whether a project can endure. It also means accepting that you can't do everything alone. To last and have impact, pooling resources has become central: moving faster together, avoiding mistakes already made, sharing resources, and building collectively what couldn't be sustained individually.
At Médianes, we have structured our approach around five key questions: what problem does your media outlet solve, and for whom? What foundations should be laid from the start—editorial, organizational, financial? How do you build a value proposition that truly stands out? What business model allows you to sustain yourself over time without betting everything on a single revenue stream? And how do you prepare a launch that doesn't leave the project facing its audience alone? These are the questions that help you build a media outlet that serves its audience and remains viable for those who create it.
👀 Would you like to start a media outlet? Médianes shares its methodology and open-access resources, detailed in the book Creating a Media Outlet and, since February 2025, in a dedicated training course.
An entrepreneurial method designed so you don't have to go it alone, helping you build your path whether you're structuring your project, launching it, or growing it.
The next session is in June, and there are still spots available!
To go further
- Structure your project step by step without losing your way: discover our 5-step method for creating a media outlet.
- In 2024, Vert, StreetPress, Le 1 and URBANIA answered this same question during a panel discussion. Discover their insights and experiences.
- Curious to hear how others did it? In Chemins, our podcast, media founders and leaders share their journeys, choices, mistakes and successes.
- Pooling resources, alliances, shared resources: We explain why independent media have everything to gain by working together.
