For the past few months, more than 350 founders, leaders, and project initiators have been taking an interest and helping us develop our new project: a collective support program for emerging, independent, and mission-driven media outlets, the Médianes Program.
From today until March 3, you can now apply to join the Médianes Program. A 9-month program designed for leaders of independent media outlets in their launch phase or created less than 5 years ago. A program built to provide the keys and methods to develop a viable editorial and economic model. A program designed to be as accessible as possible financially and geographically.
Why launch a support program?
For 3 years, we've been helping media outlets produce better journalism and monetize it through their audiences. And we understand how complex it is to build and manage an independent, viable and ethical media business.
Through Médianes studio, we have advised and equipped more than 80 editorial teams. Among these media outlets, we have notably supported the launch and development of the teams behind La Déferlante, Vert, AOC, StreetPress, Pays, Kometa, Contexte, La Disparition, mūsae, POLITICO, RFI, 60 Millions de Consommateurs…
And with medianes.org, we've made methods and keys for developing your media freely accessible and highlighted, through articles, newsletters, practical guides, and our podcast, media outlets seeking to have a positive and virtuous impact on society.
Looking back on our fourth year, we assessed everything that media founders were missing, and we built the Medianes Program. A program that allows time to build your project and become operational. A program that focuses on substance and viability.
You won't get a budget office space — others do that very well — but you will get regular support and you'll join a cohort that will stay with you well beyond the 9 months of mentoring. The Médianes Programme is therefore complementary to media-focused incubators.
Who is this Program for?
The program is designed for leaders of independent, committed media outlets—whether launching or created within the last 5 years—who are seeking to scale sustainably over time.
Whether in form or content, the program was designed to address people already working in their field, and to ensure it doesn't rely on a single person. Beyond their founder, selected projects can involve multiple team members based on skills and task distribution.
The support is designed to be accessible to editorial and creative professionals, particularly journalists, who wish to develop their skills in management, entrepreneurship, marketing, or leadership to advance their media outlet.
Print magazine, newsletter, video, podcast, website: the program targets all formats.
What is the Program's objective?
The program aims to provide founders with the analytical frameworks, methods and tools to develop their media projects on viable, responsible business models—and take their ventures to the next level.
Management, business models, strategy, administrative and legal matters, financial management, brand identity, marketing, communication… the program covers a wide variety of topics to provide comprehensive support.
The Medianes Programme allows you to step back and assess your project, deepen your knowledge in areas essential to your media's development, and take it to the next level. We support you in implementing a viable editorial and business model that connects directly with your audiences.
How does the support work?
The program offers 9 months of support, starting from April 2024, divided into 3 months of group training, then 6 months of individual follow-up, as well as a post-program review, 12 months after launch.
Through the organization of masterclasses, workshops, and individual mentoring, 10 selected founders will be supported by the Médianes team and a network of media experts to develop their projects.
Beyond training and implementation periods, various formats are planned to support you concretely in developing your project: individual audits, meetings with experts, mentoring, contact sharing, etc.
Three months of thematic support from April to June 2024
The first three months of the Program aim to solidify the project and help the project lead build conviction, while setting clear objectives and indicators to track over the medium term. Among the focus areas for these initial weeks:
- Module 1 (April 2024): Structure and manage your media as an entrepreneurial venture
- Module 2 (May 2024): Refine your business model and ensure financial viability
- Module 3 (June 2024): Develop an effective marketing and communication strategy
It offers on average a half-day of work per week; some sessions are also available remotely and by video (asynchronous).
Six months of monitoring from July to December 2024
Multiple mentoring sessions are then scheduled over a six-month period to support the implementation of the tools and strategies developed during the first phase of the program. This period will allow for close monitoring of each founder's work and support for each individual in achieving their objectives, while enabling a lighter pedagogical structure.
This follow-up will take the form of a half-day per month, for six months (2 hours of mentoring, 2 hours of preparation).
Where does the Program take place?
The Médianes Program was designed to meet the daily needs of leaders and be compatible with both professional and personal life. We offer a hybrid format with the majority of sessions available on your choice of terms, either in-person (Paris) or via videoconference. Some sessions will also be accessible asynchronously (video recordings of sessions).
Like the Médianes team — a team of 10 people spread across different locations — this program is designed to be accessible throughout France.
How much does the program cost?
The program costs €150 net per month for 9 months per project and person, plus €100 net per additional person, up to a maximum of three people per project. A price made possible through support from the Ministry of Culture and the commitment of studio Médianes, which aims to make mentorship as accessible as possible.
How do I join the program?
To join the 2024 cohort, a three-stage selection process has been designed: completing a form before March 3 (stage 1); pre-selection and interview with the Médianes team (stage 2); final selection by a panel of media experts (stage 3).
We seek to select projects that demonstrate potential for editorial and economic development, a willingness to be supported and challenged, a desire to share their knowledge and expertise with the rest of their cohort, and that share our vision of a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable media ecosystem.
How can I stay informed? How do I ask questions?
To learn more about the Médianes Program, be notified of the detailed schedule, jury members and speakers, you can subscribe to the mailing list.
For any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Pauline Butel, Programme Médianes Manager, at [email protected]. She will be happy to help you.
