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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).
- PLATFORMS (404 Media) — Recent events have highlighted the instability of platforms like X, Facebook, and TikTok, forcing news organizations to rethink their strategy. Some newsrooms believe the future could lie in decentralized social networks, such as Mastodon and Bluesky, which would give users more control over data management, moderation, and algorithms.
- PAPER (L'ADN) — Faced with the instability of social media and the toxic discourse spreading there, young people seeking alternative spaces are creating their own mini-magazines, or "zines". This format, which has long been a tool for expression in activist circles and marginalized communities, has experienced a renaissance as evidenced by the numerous tutorials shared on TikTok for making them.
- INTERNET (Taylor Lorenz) — Is this the end of "followers"? If subscribing to a personality used to be the best way to ensure their content appeared on your home page, recommendation algorithms have changed the game. Now, internet users are exposed to a very wide range of sources, pushing creators to design their content to satisfy algorithms rather than their community.
- AI (MIT Technology Review) — Internet research often boils down to typing a few keywords into Google and picking a link from the results. But with AIs capable of generating complete answers to our questions, our habits are changing. Yet, this technology has already demonstrated its shortcomings in terms of reliability, and media outlets are concerned about it monopolizing their content and traffic.
- PLATFORMS (Rest of World) — In crisis zones, WhatsApp has become an essential information and communication tool. In regions where networks are unstable, NGOs, journalists, and refugees rely on its data optimization system to stay connected. However, concerns persist about its security and misuse for harmful purposes, such as propaganda.
- LOCAL PRESS (Local News Initiative) — Meta recently announced the end of its fact-checking program in the United States. A problem that is all the more significant for "media deserts" according to experts. With few other sources available, residents of these regions increasingly turn to social media for news, and the disappearance of these safeguards could significantly increase the risk of misinformation.
- INFLUENCERS (Bloomberg) — While young white men voted for Biden by a majority in 2020, more than half of them opted for Trump in 2024. According to Bloomberg, which analyzed 2,000 videos from nine different YouTube creators, personalities like Joe Rogan and Logan Paul contributed to this shift by influencing youth who turned away from traditional media.
- FORMATS (Nieman Lab) — During his first term, Donald Trump dominated the news cycle, contributing to a certain information fatigue. Vox thus launched The Logoff, a newsletter that lets you keep track of Trump-related news without being overwhelmed. Each edition concludes with an article or podcast to help readers move on to something else.
- MODEL (Future Proof) — You may well notice it yourself by the end of the month: whether it's for sports, staying informed, entertainment, or even having a coffee, monthly subscriptions are everywhere and tend to pile up. While this model has allowed some newsrooms and journalists to build financial independence, can readers indefinitely keep up with this "paywallification"?
- TOOLS (Arrêt sur images) — How can we reconcile the press's economic imperatives with its readers' financial constraints? One solution is offered by the BNF, which provides access to several media outlets — including Mediapart, Arrêt sur images and the New York Times — for around twenty euros per year. A public service offering that remains little-known and unreported by the press.
