Let's have some drinks!

No. 105 — Happy Happy Hour!
It's May 1, 2025, and you're reading the newsletter from Médianes.

Hello, everyone,

Two weeks ago, I made all my coworkers jealous by attending a Croque-Marseille happy hour. The concept: a friendly get-together at food journalist Ezéchiel Zerah’s place, where about fifty chefs and key figures from Marseille’s food scene gather over a few bites to chat and network.

These gatherings, building on the Croque-Marseille Instagram account, create an intimate and thoughtful community space that might inspire you with new ideas. In this issue, you’ll also find our calendar of must-see media events: a resource to help you keep track of the month’s highlights, from project launches to festivals.

Finally, we’re sharing all the details about the return of our “Creating a Media Outlet” training program, a podcast on the pressures facing independent investigative journalism, a closer look at donations as a business model, and, of course, job openings.

Enjoy the read,

— MARINE SLAVITCH, JOURNALIST AT MÉDIANES

The Strategy

IDEAS FOR YOUR MEDIA

A food journalist, Ezéchiel Zérah is the founder of Pomélo, a paid newsletter on culinary trends, and the author of *Marseille, Un jour sans faim!* (2023). With Croque-Marseille, he has transformed an Instagram account featuring great spots into a networking platform: every month, Ezéchiel opens his living room to industry professionals for a cocktail party where chefs, artisans, communicators, and creatives come together.

Why is this interesting? By focusing on in-person, informal gatherings, Croque-Marseille fosters connections that go beyond the logic of online networking. The format breaks down hierarchies and fosters direct, horizontal relationships. These gatherings benefit the journalist—their projects, network, and local ties—just as much as they do the participants, who find them a valuable opportunity to connect with others.

The number: Since the Croque-Marseille networking events were launched a year ago, approximately 600 professionals have attended them. This shows that even a simple, friendly get-together can help build a strong network.

Why not? “Imagine a cocktail party with the head of Radio France and a guy who puts out a fanzine about Formula 1 drivers! ” What if such encounters became a testing ground for experimentation and collaboration between media outlets? Pooling resources, sharing expertise, launching collective projects… all without relying on the usual institutional channels.

Want to learn more? Read our feature on the Croque-Marseille cocktail party.

From the studio's perspective

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Our “Creating a Media Outlet” training program returns June 12–27, 2025! Designed for those who want to launch a media outlet or strengthen the foundations of an existing project, it explores the key stages of creation—from concept to launch—and provides guidance for both the early stages and phases of restructuring.

Business Model, Marketing, Administration, Design: A 6-day training program spread over three weeks to equip you with the essential skills for creating and managing a media outlet. Funding is available through OPCO or France Travail. Registration is now open!

On Our Radar

OUR MARKET RESEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR PROJECTS

Under Pressure

MATHIEU MOLARD, THOMAS PORLON, SAMUEL ALERTE / STREETPRESS

In this podcast, four journalists—Yann Philippin (Mediapart), Ariane Lavrilleux (Disclose), Walid Bourouis (freelance), and Mathieu Molard (StreetPress)—speak out about the pressures they face on a daily basis: searches, police summonses, threats, and lawsuits. A straightforward and accessible format that offers a behind-the-scenes look at investigative journalism while highlighting the importance of supporting the independent press—and of the press standing united.

⟶ In the face of SLAPP suits, how can we ensure the protection of sources? A roundtable discussion moderated by our reporter Owen Huchon at the 2024 Imprimé Festival, featuring Ariane Lavrilleux (Disclose) and Pauline Delmas (Sherpa).

The Model of Committed Media

SABINE BLANC / THE MEDIA REVIEW

What if donations were right for you? More and more independent media outlets are relying on this model to build a direct connection with their readership and ensure free access to their content. In the INA’s Media Review, Marine Doux, co-founder of Médianes, shares a “crash course in media marketing” using examples from Vert, StreetPress, and Disclose—three media outlets supported by our studio.

⟶ On our “Chemins” podcast, hear firsthand accounts from Reporterre and Stupid Economics, two donation-funded media outlets.

Over at medianes.org

IT'S HOMEMADE

The Media Events Calendar

TEAM / MEDIANES.ORG

A new editorial feature here!Médianes Project launches, festivals, panel discussions, screenings, industry meetups… In this article, you’ll find media and publishing industry events our team has highlighted for the coming month.

⟶ Is your event not listed here? Reply to this email. And if you’d like your event to be featured in our newsletter, in the article, and on our social media channels, consider placing an ad.

In Brief

THAT WAY, YOU'LL KNOW

• INA, Reporterre, Contexte: These media outlets are hiring. Check out their job openings.

• The Marseille Charter aims to ensure accurate, comprehensive, and ethical coverage of migration issues. Click here to sign it—alongside us.

• More than half of freelance journalists have experienced burnout in recent years, and it’s time to talk about it.

• What are some solutions for office-related health issues? A comprehensive, illustrated guide to understanding these new health problems and learning how to protect yourself from them.

• WhatsApp to make up for the lack of a mobile app and reach readers wherever they are: that’s Mediacités’s strategy.

• Establishing contact, protecting sources, handling threats… A comprehensive guide designed for journalists and whistleblowers.

• As we mentioned in this episode of the Chemins podcast, the wonderful feminist magazine CENSORED has officially become an independent cultural platform.

See you on May 15!

Thank you for your messages, which have helped us make this newsletter even better. We’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome the teams at Louie Media, Les Surligneurs, Quoi de Mum, and everyone else who has recently joined us.

See you on May 15. Until then, take care of yourselves and your social media accounts.

— THIS NEWSLETTER WAS PREPARED BY MARINE SLAVITCH IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MÉDIANES TEAM.