Julia Cagé is an economist and professor at Science Po Paris. She has published numerous works on the financing of the media, their precariousness and the democratic risks incurred as a result (*).

The daily production of professional, useful, reliable and verified information costs a lot of money. For a long time, the economic models of the press, then of radio and TV coexisted and sometimes prospered. The arrival of the Internet at the turn of the millennium, the habit of “free consumption” and the shift of advertising to the internet have upset the economic models and consumer habits and caused thousands of media to disappear due to lack of resources. At the same time, the profession of journalism itself has become much more precarious. Editorial teams have been reduced to a trickle, while there is a total confusion between journalism and any form of content production, leading to public mistrust in general. The media that have survived this revolution are those that have been able to adapt, anticipate and envisage new financing models as well as rebuild a relationship of trust with their public, their audience. In this interview, Julia Cagé describes the innovative business models and virtuous organization that have enabled this revival.

(*) « Sauver les médias : capitalisme, financement participatif et démocratie », Paris, Le Seuil, coll. « La République des idées », 2015.
« L'information est un bien public : Refonder la propriété des médias », avec Benoît Huet, Paris, Seuil, 2021.
« Pour une télé libre. Contre Bolloré », Paris, Seuil, 2022.