2023-11-22 11:01:21
The figure is clear: 82% of French people say they do not spend money for information. And this even though 75% of them declare that they follow “with great interest” the news. In the future, would they be willing to sign up for a subscription? Not really…: 67% answered in the negative. Which does not surprise Anne-Sophie Novel, journalist and author of the book The Media, the world and us (1) : “From the early 2000s, with the emergence of free daily newspapers and online information, an addiction to free information developed. » Jérôme Bouvier, president of the Assises du journalism, goes further: “Information is omnipresent, to the point of causing rejection in some, and it is always more anxiety-provoking… By saying things bluntlyt: why would the French pay for information which, already, assails them? »
Either. Except that information has a cost. “ The combined budgets of the editorial staff of the main public and private TV channels amount to hundreds of millions of eurosrecalls Philippe Bailly, specialist in media economics and founder of NPA Conseil. Here is the reality of the cost of producing information. And this remains, particularly in France, largely unknown. » The refusal to pay for information does not directly affect audiovisual players – private players finance themselves via advertising revenue; public broadcasting receives a fraction of the VAT via the State. The first to suffer are the written press and paid online sites – both of which mainly rely on subscriptions or single-issue sales. It is their sustainability that is in the spotlight.
EXCLUSIVE???? @The cross reveals the results of its latest barometer on French people’s trust in the media #BaroMedia
This year there has been a marked increase in public interest in current affairs.
With @KantarFR and on the occasion of #MediaEnSeine@MediasEnSeinepic.twitter.com/XBNjVQC7NG
— La Croix (@LaCroix) November 22, 2023
This observation is all the more worrying at a time when we are witnessing a breakdown of information sources and where fake news is flooding the Internet. In this context, the role of the journalist proves more useful than ever. Problem: its legitimacy is contested… like never before. “We are seeing a loss of confidence in institutions, and particularly in intermediaries such as the media,” notes Nathalie Sonnac, professor of information sciences and former member of the Superior Audiovisual Council (2). “ Information is, of course, a product but it is also a public good; there can be no democracy without a well-informed society. There is an urgent need to recall the social usefulness of journalists, who verify information, prioritize it and contextualize it. »
Subscription, a militant act
For Philippe Bailly, “the trend towards everything free is not an absolute inevitability”. As proof, he cites the successes of the digital editions of the Monde or Figaro who, to hear it, “ distribute more widely than at the time of paper subscription thanks to a lot of promotion work and an adaptation of their pricing policy “. Our Kantar survey, however, reminds us how taking out a subscription is socially marked. “ In fact, 27% of executives say they pay a subscription or are ready to do so, compared to only 13% of workers. », recalls Guillaume Caline, director of public issues and opinion at Kantar Public.
For many, raising awareness of the idea that quality information has a cost requires real educational work. “ We need to further develop media education, explain how we produce information and, thus, develop critical thinking », assures Anne-Sophie Novel. It also believes – alongside traditional subscription – in the development of one-off fundraising for media with a specific, even niche, line. “ This can work, as long as the reader has the feeling, through this financial support, of promoting a certain type of journalism. » Some would even see it as a form of commitment, or even a militant act.
It is difficult, for the moment, to predict which economic models will be viable. Until then, everyone must do their own self-criticism. The consumer, ” who is willing to buy the latest smartphone for €1,200… but not to pay €5 or €10 per month to subscribe to an online information site », notes Nathalie Sonnac. The profession, too, must examine its conscience. “The journalist can no longer be content to participate in the ambient noise or add buzz to the buzz if he wants to assert his social usefulness”believes Jérôme Bouvier.
#find #paying