No. 64 — Welcome Aboard
It’s August 31, 2023, and you’re reading the newsletter from Médianes.
Today, we're taking off the mask
Hello, everyone,
That’s it—the sunny days are giving way to the projects and challenges that come with the start of the school year. Here at Médianes, we’re currently in the midst of preparing for our team retreat. It’s a chance to come together, share our ideas, chart a course for the year ahead… and let our hair down during a few wild rounds of laser tag.
Speaking of new faces, we’re thrilled to welcome Maëlle Ledu, who is starting a six-month end-of-studies internship in graphic design alongside our art director, Christelle Perrin. Maëlle will be based in Rennes.
On that note, today we’re sharing a few tips on how to successfully recruit and onboard new team members. And in our roundup: artificial intelligence, libraries, socks, and jobs, of course.
Enjoy the read,
— Marine Slavitch
Why not?
Ideas for Your Media
Back to school season means new arrivals! Whether you're about to welcome an intern or a finance director, have you taken the time to think about the key steps to smooth your new hires' onboarding journey? Promise, it'll save just as much time for you as for your future colleagues.
Writing a Job Description
Mystery might work when you’re trying to woo someone, but not when you’re hiring. Generally speaking, a job posting won’t fit into a single tweet if it includes the job title, contract type, location, and compensation details—in short, the bare minimum. So be sure to create a comprehensive job listing, like the one from HugoDécrypte. Need more tips to improve your hiring process? This very comprehensive article will shed some light on the subject, covering everything from internal team mobility to essential manager training.
To welcome
Recruitment is complete. Now let’s prepare for the first few days. To do so, feel free to create a welcome guide that helps new hires understand and access the company’s tools, methods, customs, values, and practices. At [Company Name]Médianes, we’ve put all of this together in a kit that includes team profiles, an overview of our organization, and our editorial and ethical guidelines.
Setting Guidelines for Work Hours
A new job is exciting and often all-consuming. However, it’s a fact that we work much better when we’re well-rested. The investigative news site Mediapart has therefore implemented policies on the right to disconnect and on guidelines for remote work, in addition to self-reported time-management tools. Human resources ensures compliance with these policies and regularly reminds employees to take their vacation time.
From the studio's perspective
Spotlight on a Project
What if we put the East at the center of the map? Discover Kometa, the new independent magazine that turns its gaze eastward to understand the world shaped by the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Every three months, in a beautiful 208-page print magazine, Kometa features literary stories, photographs by artists, debates, correspondence, and maps to help readers make sense of this incredibly complex world.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of the presale campaign for this new magazine, which we have been supporting in its strategic and operational development since January 2023.
On Our Radar
Our market monitoring to support your projects
GÉRALD HOLUBOWICZ / JOURNALISM.DESIGN
I HAVE A LOT TO DO
Are you wondering how to incorporate artificial intelligence into your newsroom without compromising your ethical standards? Journalist and product manager Gérald Holubowicz has published a short, practical guide that should help you make certain decisions and develop an AI usage policy that aligns with your practices.
ZACHARY PETIT / FAST COMPANY
COLLECTIBLE ITEM
This is the story of a 100% print, ad-free magazine featuring writers such as Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tom Waits. Name: Inque. Run: Ten years, ten issues. Price: $70. “The closer the team gets to the series’ climax, the higher the magazine’s profile will soar,” says its founder, Dan Crowe. An exciting project.
On medianes.org
It's homemade
KATE HARLOE / POPULA — TRANSLATED BY MARINE SLAVITCH
LIBRARY JOURNALISM
“Libraries are proof that when a public resource is truly made public—that is, when it structurally belongs to everyone—people appreciate it. Why not draw inspiration from what’s already working?” The story of a partnership between a neighborhood library and a city’s local newspaper offers food for thought on the accessibility of information.
In Brief
That way, you'll know
→ Reporters d’espoirs, INA, 20 Minutes: These media outlets are hiring. Check out their job openings
→ Climax magazine—in collaboration with the studioMédianes—is beta-testing “Degré Zéro,” a collective experiment exploring our relationship to the climate crisis.
→ BADASS is launching! Go check it out and support this new magazine that spotlights women in sports.
→ Dance classes, a DJ set, and a podcast recording: the political and feminist media outlet Popol—in partnership with the studio—will celebrateMédianes its launch on September 22 at Point Éphémère.
→ Message in a Bottle: To get the new school year off on the right foot, we’re urgently looking for a way to get our hands on these Mediapart socks.
See you on September 14!
We'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Joseph, Estelle, Simon, and everyone else who has recently subscribed to this newsletter.
Thank you for your messages and ideas, which helped shape this issue of the newsletter. Please feel free to share your feedback with us and let us know what topics you’d like to see covered in future issues!
We'll see you on September 14 for the next edition. Until then, take care of yourselves and your social media.
— THIS NEWSLETTER WAS PREPARED BY MARINE SLAVITCH AND MARINE DOUX WITH THE MÉDIANES TEAM.
MEDIANES.ORG — MEDIANES.STUDIO
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