For several years now, new platforms have made it easier to launch independent newsletters. Substack and other players have enabled journalists and media founders to publish easily, manage subscriptions, and build a direct relationship with their readers. On paper, the promise is appealing: simplicity, speed, built-in monetization.
But this ease comes at a cost. These platforms rely on strong technological and economic dependence on private actors, most often from outside Europe, whose model is based on capturing data, usage patterns and a share of revenues. Even when alternatives exist, the logic is always that of an intermediary platform, with its own rules, limitations and trade-offs that are not those of traditional media.
More and more journalists, collectives, and emerging media outlets want to take control today: over their tools, their data, their business model. Beyond a newsletter, these founders need a real website, a subscription offer, and sustainable infrastructure, without sacrificing a simple and seamless experience.
It was from this observation, and from our experience working with 150 newsrooms, that Socle was born.
Socle, an open alternative to closed platforms
Socle empowers media outlets and any organization or collective producing content to achieve digital independence without starting from scratch, without requiring technical expertise, and with budgets suited to the realities of emerging projects.
The idea is simple: provide the key features of an all-in-one platform (publishing, newsletter, paid subscriptions, paywall, member management) while guaranteeing complete data ownership, economic independence, and full GDPR compliance.
With Socle, you don't publish on a platform: you publish on your own. Your site, your newsletter, your subscriber base, your business model.
What sets this offer apart
Socle is neither a simple tool nor an additional platform. It's a reliable, proven and scalable technical foundation, designed to last, on which you can build your project at your own pace:
- No dependence on a single vendor ;
- No commission on your earnings (excluding bank fees);
- No technical or contractual lock-in;
- The ability to evolve, migrate, and customize.
La Déferlante, Vert, Le Monde diplomatique, Les Jours, Le Monde, POLITICO…discover our projects and expertise on our studio's website.
A free, robust and proven technical foundation
At the heart of the Base offer, we chose Ghost, an open source CMS specifically designed for media and newsletters. Ghost is now used by many independent media outlets around the world for its ease of use, stability, and clear focus on subscriptions and membership.
Médianes handles Ghost configuration for you, either through GhostPro or on a dedicated server hosted in France. In both cases, you have full access to your site and data, and you can migrate to another solution at any time if you wish.
The Socle theme, developed by Médianes, is designed to meet the concrete needs of independent media: a readable website, customizable, and newsletters that are visually consistent with your brand identity. It provides a solid foundation that you can then further develop.
Our entire technical infrastructure is designed to be open and reversible: payments via Stripe with your own account, analytics via Matomo, paywall built into Ghost or, if needed, dynamic paywall via our partner Poool at preferential rates.
Our long-term goal is to be able to offer fully European solutions, including at the payment provider level.
An economic model that belongs to you
With Socle, 100% of your subscription revenue comes to you, excluding unavoidable technical payment fees. Médianes does not act as an intermediary on your financial flows.
You choose your rates, your offers, your publishing pace. You build your relationship with your readers without depending on an algorithm, a platform, or imposed rule changes.
This economic independence is inseparable from editorial independence: it is the core of Médianes' approach since its inception.
A partner, not just a tool
Socle is a technical and strategic support offering, designed for teams that want to focus on their content…without compromising their economic and technical independence.
We handle the setup, maintenance, updates, security, and monthly support. We remain available to answer questions, adjust settings, fix technical issues, or help you get the most out of the tool.
And if your project evolves, Socle can evolve with you. Médianes offers, on a quote basis and at preferential rates, custom graphics, specific developments, feature additions, or more strategic support.
A clear, accessible and transparent offer
Socle's objective is to make technical independence financially accessible, without compromising on quality.
- Complete website and newsletter setup is offered at €850 excl. VAT, including Ghost installation, domain configuration, payment setup, newsletter, and Socle theme.
- Operation is then based on a subscription of €150 ex. VAT per month, covering maintenance, security, updates and one hour of support and assistance per month, which can be accumulated. Hosting and third-party service costs are calculated as a supplement at the best rate depending on the solution chosen and the number of members, starting from €30 ex. VAT per month.
No hidden fees, no contractual dependency, no lock-in.
With Socle, you can also access the strategic and operational support of our studio on developing your audience, marketing or design.
Who is Socle for?
Socle is for independent journalists, collectives, emerging media or existing projects that want to launch or redesign an online media or newsletter and monetize it without going through a closed platform. For those who want to test a subscription model, structure their audience, or lay the foundations for sustainable media. But also, more broadly, for any organization producing content and wishing to strengthen its technological and economic independence.
Build your foundation
Socle is currently in its rollout phase and is available to a limited number of media outlets. We are building an initial list of interested projects to exchange, refine needs and support the first media outlets.
Do you want to be kept informed about the launch of Socle or discuss your project? Sign up for our interest list.
About Médianes, the studio
Media, network…and studio: since 2020, Médianes strengthens the impact and vitality of media through a consulting studio. To make media independence concrete, we support leaders in developing sustainable models, designed for and with their audiences, by combining design, marketing, tech and management expertise.
La Déferlante, Vert, POLITICO, StreetPress, Louie Media, Les Jours, Disclose, Contexte… to learn more about our projects and expertise, visit medianes.studio.
