The wall—which wall?

No. 79 — The Wall—Which Wall?
It’s April 4, 2024, and you’re reading the newsletter from Médianes.

Hello, everyone,

They drive us crazy, and yet that’s still the best the online press could come up with to convey the idea that information has value and deserves to be protected. Paywalls—and just writing that makes me shudder—take center stage in this issue.

Today, we’re talking about content access restrictions—whether they’re strict or more flexible paid access barriers, or even barriers that simply require creating an account or submitting an email address to subscribe to a newsletter. Because yes, you can implement these measures while still offering free access.

Also in this issue, you’ll find: our recap of the roundtable discussion “How to Start a Media Outlet in 2024? ” held to celebrate the release of our book, National Geographic’s brand-new visual identity, some great ideas to borrow from a British rock band, and, for dessert, the latest job openings we’ve spotted in the media.

Enjoy the read,

— MARINE SLAVITCH, JOURNALIST AT MÉDIANES

Why not?

IDEAS FOR YOUR MEDIA

So, you’d like to restrict access to all or part of your content? In addition to the option of requiring a subscription to view certain articles, access restrictions can also be used to gather valuable information about your readers or to introduce them to other offerings, such as a newsletter.

Understanding the Purpose of My Content

What justifies making some of the content you offer free, while other content requires a subscription or signing up for a newsletter? The answer lies in the value you assign to each article. In general, investigations, in-depth reports, and exclusive stories warrant a paywall. Locking them behind a paywall effectively turns them into valuable products, while encouraging reader engagement.

Explore the different options

Not all content access restriction models work the same way. Some apply to all articles, which is often the case for trade publications. Other models allow only a few articles to be freely accessible each month. Some even assess a given user’s likelihood of subscribing and adjust their approach accordingly. This choice depends largely on your media outlet’s business model and editorial positioning.

The Case of the Donation

As part of its last two fundraising campaigns, the online media outlet StreetPress implemented a paywall-like system with a pay-what-you-want model, thereby linking its content to the fundraising campaign. Readers were interrupted while reading an article by a donation request banner. Readers, however, were not required to donate and could just as easily close the block to continue reading.

To learn more, read our interview with Madeleine White, editor-in-chief of the English edition of The Audiencers, about registration walls.

From the studio's perspective

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Médianes Join us at the 2024 Perugia International Journalism Festival on April 18!

Marine Doux, co-founder of Médianes, will moderate a panel discussion on management in the media titled: “New Generation, New Rules: How to Manage a Newsroom?”

Among the topics discussed: How can we foster a healthy work culture in newsrooms? Does this contribute to higher-quality journalism? How can we meet both the needs of young journalists and the demands of the organization? To discuss these issues, several media executives will participate in the discussion: Federica Cherubini (RISJ), Clémentine Forissier (Contexte), and Anup Kaphle (Rest of World).

CHRISTELLE PERRIN — MÉDIANES, THE STUDIO

On Our Radar

OUR MARKET RESEARCH TO SUPPORT YOUR PROJECTS

Privacy and Exclusivity

AMELIA NASH / PRINT

National Geographic magazine has unveiled a new visual identity that emphasizes visual storytelling. Among the new features, full-page photographs open each issue, while an exclusive cover offers subscribers images that are “more artistic, bold, and intimate.” This is a way for the historic magazine to strengthen its relationship with its most loyal readers.

Extend the experience

THE LAST DINNER PARTY / DISCORD

The British rock band The Last Dinner Party has created a space on the Discord messaging platform to interact more easily with its fans. There are channels where fans can talk about art, music, and books with the band members, share photos from their tours, find people to go to concerts with, or trade tickets. Any media outlet committed to building a strong community would be well advised to borrow this idea!

Over at medianes.org

IT'S HOMEMADE

How to create media in 2024?

MARINE SLAVITCH AND OWEN HUCHON / MEDIANES.ORG

On Tuesday, April 2, Médianeswe organized a roundtable discussion on the topic “How to Start a Media Outlet in 2024?” to mark the release of our book *Créer un média*. The event provided an opportunity to discuss media creation alongside founders of independent French-language media outlets—such as Vert, StreetPress, Le 1, and URBANIA France. Here’s a recap of the event.

In Brief

THAT WAY, YOU'LL KNOW

• L’Opinion, Le Monde, La Chance : ces médias recrutent. Découvrez leurs offres.

• The Chantier Sonore association is launching a participatory mapping project using sound markers to tell the stories of different regions in a new way.

• The online magazine UNION celebrates and preserves the work of Palestinian artists and those in the diaspora. It is a true tool of resistance.

• Ajar, the Association of Anti-Racist and People of Color Journalists, will celebrate its first anniversary on April 24 at the Pavillon des Canaux in Paris.

• When Art Nouveau Meets the '60s: Juliette Gabolde, artistic director of Gaze, discusses the creation of the visual identity for this magazine focused on women's perspectives.

• We recommend checking out Buena Vista Data Club, a newsletter packed with tools and tutorials on data visualization, by Wedodata.

See you on April 18!

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 France Inter, Le Monde, and Le Temps, as well as everyone who has recently subscribed.

Need even more industry updates? In the “Les 10 Liens” newsletter, our reporter Owen Huchon offers a selection of must-read content to help you better understand the changes currently taking place in the media ecosystem. The latest issue is available here, and to sign up to receive future issues, click here.

As for us, we'll see you on April 18. Until then, take care of yourselves and your social media.

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