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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).
- COMMUNITY (The Verge) — The internet is fragmenting. Social networks have eroded the connections that once existed between their users, who in turn no longer trust them. These users are now seeking out new spaces that feel more intimate and authentic, favoring human-scaled communities with less AI and algorithms. A trend that could lead to a proliferation of micro-communities on the web.
- SOCIAL NETWORKS (Le Monde) — Evidence of the appeal of smaller communities, social networks dedicated to limited territories are seeing some success. Fewer users, minimal features, minimalist design… A restraint that stands in stark contrast to tech giants. In Vermont, Front Porch Forum brings together 240,000 users, nearly half of the state's adult population.
- AI (Washington Post) — If you're a moodboard enthusiast, you may have noticed that Pinterest hasn't escaped the onslaught of AI-generated content. Rather than nurturing creativity, this glut of artificial images could well undermine it by exposing us to unrealistic standards.
- AI (Howtown) — Online, more and more creators are seeing the same question proliferate in their comments: "is that AI?". Illustration, photography, design, and even podcasts… Regardless of the medium, doubt is spreading in the face of images or sounds perceived as too polished. Among the solutions mentioned: encrypted metadata to certify the origin of content.
- ARCHIVES (Konbini) — The Konbini editorial team met with Vladimir Tybin, head of web legal deposit at the BnF. He explains how the institution preserves a portion of our digital memory and why our old Skyblog deserves to be preserved alongside precious manuscripts. Today, no fewer than 60 billion URLs rest in the BnF's vaults.
- PLATFORMS (Unrigged.ca) — Seeking new distribution channels in response to social media misuse, independent news outlets are launching their own platforms. After Meta banned news content from its platforms in Canada, several media organizations came together to launch Unrigged.ca. The site shares newsletters, podcasts, and articles from around twenty Canadian newsrooms.
P.S. Creating solid platforms that can compete with Silicon Valley is not easy. Recently, OptOut News, a platform dedicated to independent press — which even offered an application — had to shut down, having failed to find the necessary funding.
- WEB (Arrêt sur images) — Whether it's Le Point or Elon Musk, criticism and threats against Wikipedia are multiplying. Yet the collaborative encyclopedia model embodies in some respects an alternative path for the internet, more aligned with what internet users aspire to: an open and participatory model, built on community work, standing against algorithmic opacity and centralization.
- INFLUENCERS (CJR) — What if "news influencers" were partners rather than competitors? With trust in traditional media eroding, opening doors to different profiles could be a way to rebuild connections with younger communities, but also to pool efforts on shared challenges: AI, algorithms, etc.
- PAPER (Stack) — Whether launching a media outlet or simply sharing memories with loved ones, the magazine format is experiencing something of a resurgence, driven by growing fatigue with social networks where authentic interactions are becoming increasingly rare. Interested in giving it a try? Stack recently interviewed Josh Jones, author of a book dedicated to magazine creation, designed to make this process as accessible as possible.
P.S. Thinking about launching a media outlet? This is a good time to remind you that our book, Starting a Media, is available to order again!
- SOURCES (Psst.org) — Launched this year, Psst is a platform for whistleblowers to host, share and compare potentially compromising documents. If someone decides to make information public, the Psst team offers legal support and facilitates contact with journalists. The platform has already enabled the publication of several investigations.
