Operation Disconnect

No. 71 — Operation Disconnect
It is December 7, 2023, and you are reading the newsletter from Médianes.

Hello there,

Ah, December! The days are getting shorter, the streets are lit up, and the scent of mulled wine and gingerbread fills the air. As we prepare to wrap up this eventful year, I can’t help but think of those moments when the line between work and relaxation becomes blurred for many of us.

For project leaders, vacations are often a delicate balancing act between the need to rest and the reality of their workload. The statistics don’t lie: among self-employed workers alone, 92% reportedly work during their vacations, according to this Harvard Business Review study. Planning ahead is therefore key to turning these moments into a truly restorative break.

In this issue, you’ll find a wealth of best practices to help you prepare for the tasks ahead as the holidays approach, along with advice from Christelle Tissot, founder of mūsae, a media outlet dedicated to mental health. Also in this issue: our roundup, a gift guide for the holidays, a bookstore in Finistère, and, of course, job listings.

Enjoy the read,

— MARINE SLAVITCH, JOURNALIST AT MÉDIANES

Why not?

IDEAS FOR YOUR MEDIA

For media founders and freelancers, vacations often come down to a dilemma between the need for rest and a heavy workload. Take a deep breath—we have several solutions to offer that will help make your time off rejuvenating and allow you to return to work with peace of mind.

Plan Ahead

The key is to plan ahead. Set your priorities and automate as much as possible. From emails to articles to social media posts, every minute you invest up front equals an hour of peace of mind while you’re on vacation. This handy guide should help you prepare your to-do list so you can take a break with complete peace of mind.

Delegate

Everything is planned in advance; all that’s left is to trust your teams. By giving your employees the opportunity to take charge, your vacation becomes a time to relax and an opportunity for growth. That’s how Contexte works, thanks to its ongoing manager training and a corporate culture that fosters autonomy.

Get ready for your return

The final step—one that’s often overlooked—is preparing for your return. Set aside half a day to catch up on what happened while you were away and get organized. This will help you return to work with a clear sense of direction. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, try to distinguish between urgent and important issues.

Launching a business venture doesn't have to mean sacrificing your personal life, as Christelle Tissot, founder of the online media outlet mūsae—which focuses on mental health—explains in an interview with Médianes.

From the studio's perspective

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

The magazine *Pays*, co-founded by Médianes, will release its new issue dedicated to the Ardennes on December 12. You can order it now and receive it before the holidays.

The Pays team will be in the Ardennes from December 15 to 17 to present the new issue and engage with readers during several events. We’ll also be in Paris for the launch party on Monday, December 18, starting at 7 p.m. at Les Arches Citoyennes (4th arrondissement). Come see us!

In the meantime, you can always check out Pays’ Christmas shop on the magazine’s website: the 2024 calendar, photo puzzles, posters, and all issues of the magazine are available there. Order now to ensure delivery before the holidays!

CHRISTELLE PERRIN / MÉDIANES / PAYS

On Our Radar

OUR MARKET RESEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR PROJECTS

Engage in dialogue…

JACOB SWEET / THE NEW YORKER

One thing you won’t read in surveys and reports on younger generations’ interest in current events: on TikTok Live, the platform’s live-streaming feature, young people “discuss one of the world’s most controversial and intractable issues” with thousands of viewers tuning in for discussions lasting several hours.

… to reconcile

OLIVIER TESQUET / TÉLÉRAMA

“Here, we practice journalism for reconciliation because we have experienced firsthand the endless cycle of violence. ” The online media outlet +972, named after Israel’s telephone country code, is known as the country’s only Israeli-Palestinian newsroom. In a conflict polarized to the extreme, there are still avenues where mutual understanding continues.”

How should news be covered during wartime? Format, approach, tone, working conditions, tools… Check out our overview of best practices below.

Over at medianes.org

IT'S HOMEMADE

Our Gift Guide for the Holiday Season

MARINE SLAVITCH / MEDIANES.ORG

It’s tiiiiiiiime! The holidays are approaching, and are you running out of gift ideas for your loved ones? Here’s our team’s special “Letter to Santa” list featuring media outlets and independent publishers.

In Brief

THAT WAY, YOU'LL KNOW

• Télérama, Contexte, Courrier International: These media outlets are hiring. Check out their job openings.

• Gaze, the magazine featuring women's perspectives, is celebrating the release of its new issue, *Secrets*, on December 8 in Paris.

• The news outlet Rue89Lyon is becoming a cooperative and participatory society (SCOP). To understand what that means, click here.

• Divergences Publishing—whose books we highly recommend—is set to open a café-bookstore in Finistère.

• Our Pick: We’re big fans of “C’est pour une amie,” the new podcast from Tapage, the feminist media outlet behind My Little Paris.

See you on December 21!

Merci pour vos messages qui nous ont permis d’enrichir cette newsletter. Nous en profitons pour souhaiter la bienvenue aux équipes de La Vie, La Revue des médias, l’UNESCO et à toutes celles et ceux qui se sont inscrit·es récemment.

Whether you’ve been reading us for two weeks or two years, your feedback is invaluable to us as we put this newsletter together. So it’s your turn: What are your management-related resolutions for 2024? Best practices, ideas for discussion, tools… Contact us—we’re all ears. And your input will help shape the next issue of your favorite newsletter.

Well then, we’ll leave you now and see you in two weeks. Until then, take care of yourselves and your social media. And remember to unplug.

— THIS NEWSLETTER WAS PREPARED BY MARINE SLAVITCH AND MARINE DOUX WITH THE MÉDIANES TEAM.