Take Back Control

NOVEMBER 2025 ISSUE

Take Back Control

Hello everyone,

The times demand clear choices from the media: to regain control of their tools, strengthen their business models, and prepare for an ecosystem where dependence on major platforms is no longer a viable option. At the Sphera Media Lab in Brussels, this conviction brought together dozens of European newsrooms—all facing the same challenges, but determined to address them differently: together.

This month, in Coulisses, we’re talking about precisely these alternative paths that are opening up: newsrooms inventing a more collaborative internet, media outlets rethinking their design to better serve their mission, and teams reevaluating their everyday tools to regain technological independence. Behind each initiative lies the same logic: strengthening autonomy, clarifying choices, and building sustainable infrastructure.

And while we work with media outlets such as Les Surligneurs, Le Cri, La Croix, and Pays, these reflections also inform our studio work. How can we create campaigns that truly inspire action? How can we design websites that are simple, useful, and authentic? How can we help teams get through difficult times?

We're opening our doors to you: Welcome behind the scenes.

Enjoy the read,

MARINE DOUX, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF MÉDIANES

On the network side

PROJECT OF THE MONTH

Sphera Media Lab 2025: Key Takeaways

How can we develop sustainable business models? How can we break free from the big tech companies? How can we respond to the repeated attacks on the European press? These are just a few of the questions that guided the discussions at the Sphera Media Lab, held in early November in Brussels. Didn’t make it? We’ll tell you what you need to know.

For this new edition, the Sphera Media Lab brought together independent media outlets, researchers, and practitioners with a shared goal: to understand the threats facing journalism in Europe and to devise collective, concrete responses.

Coordinated by Médianes for the past year, the Sphera network brings together several European media outlets (444, El Salto, Popaganda, StreetPress, Krytyka Polityczna, VD News, etc.) around editorial collaborations: investigations, podcasts, videos, and joint events.

To go further

• Google Docs, Slack, Adobe, Windows… These tools shape the day-to-day operations of newsrooms, but they also increase their dependence on technology. Some media outlets have chosen alternative paths: free, open-source, or in-house solutions. Contexte, Reporterre, and Médor share their stories with Médianes.

• Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia: Three exiled journalists share their stories and speak out to Sphera about a Europe where press freedom is dangerously on the decline.

From the media's perspective

OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS

Beyond the platforms: Europe's quiet technological revolution

BY MARINE DOUX — MÉDIANES & COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW

Two French initiatives—the Independent Media Portal and La Presse Libre’s subscription platform—show that a more cooperative internet is possible. In this article, originally published in the Columbia Journalism Review, we explore how newsrooms are regaining control over their tools to distribute their content in new ways.

Design: A Bridge Between the Audience and Its Media

BY CHRISTELLE PERRIN — MÉDIANES

The right design bridges the gap between an editorial promise and a genuine reading experience. It clarifies, simplifies, and guides. And contrary to popular belief, the most beautiful design isn’t always the most useful. Christelle Perrin, art director at Médianes, shares her advice

Our approach

STUDIO NEWS

Les Surligneurs: A Look Back at Our Mission

What if, tomorrow, there were no longer any independent media outlets fact-checking political statements? Les Surligneurs are launching their campaign, supported by Médianes.

Since 2017, Les Surligneurs have been analyzing political discourse from a legal perspective. But their model is under threat. As alumni of our mentorship program, we’re proud to support them in their campaign—from strategy and design to the structure of their advocacy page.

Les Surligneurs, Le Cri, Reporters Without Borders, La Déferlante… We offer media organizations a comprehensive approach to their fundraising campaigns: a well-thought-out structure, a design that reflects their brand identity, and robust technical development. Interested in our support? Learn more about our expertise.

To go further

• And if you still have doubts about the donation model, read “8 Common Misconceptions About Donations Debunked” in *The Audiencers*. *The Guardian*, *Kometa*, *La Croix*, *StreetPress*, and *Vert* are featured: Marine Doux, editorial director of [publication name]Médianes, draws on our interviews and feedback from working with these media outlets.

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THAT WAY, YOU'LL KNOW

→ Country — *Les Cévennes* is now available in bookstores

Co-founded by Médianes, the magazine *Pays* is back with a special issue on the Cévennes. In it, 31 journalists and photographers explore the region, where a legacy of social protest, the climate crisis, and a desire to put down roots all intertwine. Immerse yourself in the Cévennes as you’ve never read about them before.

→ “The behind-the-scenes advisors to the entire press.”

This is how Médianes is described in a Meta-Media report. Written by Alexandra Klinnik, the piece shines a spotlight on our analyses of Substack, the newsletter platform that promises independence.

→ A new website for Le Cri

After a launch campaign costing nearly 150,000 €, Le Cri—a Christian, radical, and joyful media outlet—needed a website that lived up to its standards. We designed a simple and effective platform, crafted to showcase their content and grow their subscriber base.

→ *La Croix* trusts us

We’re thrilled to begin a project with La Croix’s marketing and product teams to strengthen and harmonize their visual identities. Want to learn more? Discover our expertise in graphic design and project management.

→ Last few spots available for our training course

Are you interested in starting a media outlet or professionalizing one you’ve already launched? Sign up for our “Starting a Media Outlet” training session this December! Payment plans and financial assistance are available.

Médianes

We are a nonprofit media organization, a strategy, marketing, and design studio, and a network for independent journalism.