(Truly) Incorporate Video into Your Offering

No. 129 — AUGUST 27, 2026

(Truly) Incorporate Video

Hello, everyone,

So glad to see you again! Whether you're still in denial about going back or already getting ready for fall, here's an issue to help you get back on track.

First, the video: Dorine Planté and Agathe Kupfer explain how about ten European media outlets have turned it into a real editorial asset—not just another filmed article. Next, the training: because no one knows how to do everything right from the start, Sixtine Yung shares some good reasons to take care of yourself. Finally, staying informed: Owen Huchon has put together a quick guide to help you get back on track.

You'll also find a pitchline to put an end to phony pitches, news that Microsoft's generosity toward nonprofit organizations is coming to an end, opportunities to meet us, and a few media outlets that are hiring.

Enjoy reading, and have a great start to the school year,

MARINE DOUX, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF MÉDIANES

The Strategy

Ideas for Your Media

The INA has nearly one million followers on TikTok; L’Équipe has hired a dedicated journalist; and The Wall Street Journal has moved its videos behind its paywall: video is no longer just a side note in editorial strategy. The question remains: how to get started—or take it a step further.

Start with your goals

Before filming anything, you need to know why: to reach a new audience, to embody your editorial vision, to build subscriber loyalty, or to attract a younger audience. Each objective calls for different formats and platforms. A video is never just a filmed article; it’s an editorial format in its own right, and should be treated as such.

Adjusting one's ambitions to one's resources

Skills, time, budget… these are all factors to consider before getting started. You need to identify what you want to communicate, prioritize the formats that best align with your editorial direction, and stick to a realistic publication schedule.

Test to Better Understand Your Community

There’s no magic formula on social media, but every test reveals more about what resonates with a community. Beyond views and comments, measuring what a format has truly contributed—in terms of engagement, retention, or visibility—reveals whether it’s worth replicating or tweaking. And by giving it time to find its audience, you learn as much about your audience as you do about yourself.

This issue continues our monthly series of case studies on the independent European press. Check out the first two installments on digital tools and donor communities on our website.

From the studio's perspective

A GLANCE AT A NEWS STORY

You never stop learning. From journalist to project manager, from editor to marketing manager: no one knows how to do everything right from the start. And in the media industry, where tools, formats, and practices are constantly evolving, continuing education isn’t a luxury—it’s what keeps you from falling behind.

In a column for Médianes, our project manager Sixtine Yung makes the case for three beliefs: training is essential, we’re stronger together, and it’s a long-term commitment. She explains how we put these beliefs into practice, starting with our “Creating a Media Outlet” training program, whose next session begins on October 13.

→ Read Sixtine Yung's column on Médianes.

On Our Radar

What We're Reading Right Now

To pitch a story, press 1

HANAA’ TAMEEZ / NIEMAN LAB

A quarter of the pitches received by The Food Section were fake, likely generated by AI. Lacking an effective tool to filter them out, the American food media outlet opted for a radical solution: no more written pitches—instead, the “pitchline,” a number to call during a specific time slot to pitch a story in person.

In the trash

NITISH PAHWA / SLATE

For more than ten years, Microsoft offered nonprofit organizations free access to its software. Last year, the company ended this program to “simplify” its offerings. Many organizations didn’t catch wind of the change (perhaps this applies to you) and saw years of data disappear, with no way to recover it.

Our Latest Posts

It's homemade

A Media Cheat Sheet for the Start of the School Year

Owen Huchon / MÉDIANES

Over the past few months, we’ve published dozens of articles, interviews, columns, and newsletters on a variety of topics: the editorial process, AI, book clubs, collaboration, print formats… Whatever your plans are for the start of the school year, we think it’s worth (re)visiting some of our publications.

Include video in your editorial content

Agathe Kupfer and Dorine Planté / MÉDIANES

Each month, we explore the practices of the independent European press through case studies. For this third issue, we analyzed the strategies of about ten media outlets for integrating video into their editorial content: setting objectives, production, staff training, impact measurement, and independence from platforms.

In Brief

THAT WAY, YOU'LL KNOW

1. Rue89Lyon, Les Jours, Public Eye: These media outlets are hiring—check out their job openings.

2. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Philosophie Magazine is organizing Philolive!, a philosophy festival, on October 3 in Paris.

3. A few practical tips to help your investigation make a bigger impact using Disclose and Rembobine.

4. The Atlantic is launching a new game that lets users explore its articles through a quiz.

5. Want to know who owns the media you're reading on your computer? Try this extension.

See you on Monday!

for the next edition

Nous nous retrouverons dès lundi pour l’édition de notre newsletter de veille, Les 10 Liens, et le 17 septembre pour notre édition de Coulisses. Pas encore inscrit·e à toutes nos éditions ? Mettez à jour vos préférences pour ne pas les manquer !

Cette newsletter a été préparée par Dorine Planté et Owen Huchon, avec l’équipe de Médianes.

Médianes

Nous sommes un média, un studio, et un réseau pour un journalisme indépendant.