Louise Bernard, with Gauthier Delomez
The fund for the free press, which wants to financially help independent media, has selected nine media from 44 candidates to allocate aid. This fund, fed solely by crowdfunding, allows these media to continue to offer free, quality journalism of general interest.
They were chosen from 44 candidates. Nine media outlets will receive funding from the Free Press Fund. This one was created to help indie titles. He wants to enable them to continue to offer free, quality journalism in the general interest. The total of nine candidates selected is already higher than the two previous years: the fund had been able to help three, then four media.
Avoid the need for bank loans
In reality, six media will benefit from donations: Inf’OGM, L’Empaillé, La Déferlante, Reflets.info, Splann! and Transrural Initiatives. Three others will benefit from repayable advances, loans of more than 30,000 euros (Street Press, Mediacités and Le Courrier des Balkans). Aid that allows you to do without bank loans, to avoid paying interest and above all to give time to the media because they will only reimburse from the third year.
This year, the fund for the free press received more money: 165,000 euros, in particular thanks to crowdfunding with more than 2,500 donors. It is not public money, it only comes from ordinary citizens. This is what guarantees the independence of the fund and therefore of the media supported. In addition, Mediapart also makes an endowment each year.