The Fix Media

With nearly 400,000 euros collected in donations in 2025, the French media outlet Basta! is targeting a loyal audience to counter the decline in social media traffic. The Fix spoke with its development manager, Nicolas Camier. ◼ The publisher operates solely on a donation-based model, and it has seen for the past ten years an annual growth of 10 to 15% in revenue from donations. ◼ "We've managed to achieve growth and consistency, which is really satisfying because it allows us to plan ahead and to have some stability, and ultimately we realise that donations are very similar to subscriptions in terms of income stability compared to a grant-based model where we're very dependent on public authorities or private foundations," says Camier. ◼ The growth is quite surprising because at the same time Basta!’s traffic and the number of visits to their website are decreasing. “We benefited greatly in the 2010s from social media, where link sharing was the foundation of Twitter and Facebook," he adds. ◼ But after Facebook completely changed its algorithm, all media outlets suffered somewhat. “The only explanation is that I think we're reaching fewer people than we used to, but we're better at building loyalty," Camier says. ◼ "When you have a media outlet that relies on audience revenue, you have to create attachment, a sense of connection, and a distinct editorial identity to add value compared to others." ◼ The manager points to a cultural shift around donations. “There are plenty of examples around us of media outlets that have seen a surge in support, especially among the 25-40 age group," he says. ◼ To reduce the dependence on large platforms and algorithms, Basta! has just also launched an online platform to offer a news feed dedicated only to articles from reliable independent media, selected every day by hand by their team of journalists. ◼ "We thought there was an opportunity with an aggregator that would only offer articles from these independent media outlets and provide a real, timely service. We monitor, curate, and highlight a wide range of media that people don't know about," Camier says. ❓"I think people clearly see that there's a difference when a media outlet isn't owned by a group or an individual with strong industrial or private interests." How can other independent publishers build this level of loyalty to survive the algorithm era? 📍 Read the full interview on our website.

Something more for your summer reading – we picked The Fix’s 12 most popular stories of 2026 so far. Check the list for insights about the media market, practical advice, and some Denník N case studies.

In June, the investigative non-profit CORRECTIV opened a new kind of newsroom in the heart of Gelsenkirchen: A fully public editorial office operating inside a café. The pilot project, SPOTLIGHT Gelsenkirchen, aims to rethink how local journalism is produced and how communities engage with it. ◼ SPOTLIGHT launched at a moment when local journalism in Germany is facing structural change. Years of consolidation have eroded what was once a dense network of regional dailies. Some mid-sized cities with more than 200,000 residents now have only one remaining daily paper. ◼ “We see large publishers withdrawing, and local journalism thinning out,” says editor-in-chief Tobias Hauswurz. “The local level is where people notice political consequences the most. For us, local journalism is democracy work. And democracy happens where people feel it – in their neighborhoods, in their cities.” ◼ SPOTLIGHT’s business model is built on three pillars that are meant to reinforce each other: 1️⃣ A self-sustaining café 2️⃣ A public-facing newsroom 3️⃣ Weekly events ◼ Journalists work at café tables instead of behind closed office doors, making them visible and approachable. “We’re creating a public newsroom where people can simply walk in and talk to journalists,” Hauswurz notes. Together, these pillars aim to merge everyday social life with journalistic practice, creating a space where meeting a reporter feels as natural as ordering a coffee. ◼ One early lesson was that visibility alone doesn’t automatically translate into engagement. Residents needed time to understand that they were genuinely welcome to interact with journalists. ◼ As trust grew, casual conversations began generating story leads. This kind of unsolicited, informal input has become an integral part of SPOTLIGHT’s reporting. ◼ SPOTLIGHT offers a grounded blueprint for reinventing local journalism in areas where traditional models are faltering. Its central insight is straightforward: Journalism needs to be not only accessible but physically present in people’s everyday lives. ◼ A newsroom that is visible, approachable, and participatory may be better equipped to serve communities increasingly distrustful of distant institutions. As Hauswurz puts it: “Our hope is that people come for the coffee and stay for the journalism – or the other way around.” ❓How can other newsrooms bridge the physical gap between journalists and the public? 📍Read the full article on our website to learn more.

In the latest episode of the FixEd podcast, our contributor Christoph Schwaiger speaks with Martin Schori, former head of AI and innovation of the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, about his new book AI in the Newsroom: Everything You Need to Become Tomorrow's Journalist. Listen to the full conversation on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts: ▶️ Youtube 🎵 Spotify 🍏 Apple 🎧 Other

Independent outlet Texty has helped pioneer data journalism in Ukraine, using evidence-based reporting to expose Russian disinformation and explain complex issues. Operating throughout the full-scale war, it has stayed focused on substance over hype. Hleb Liapeika spoke with editor-in-chief Roman Kulchynskyi.

andererseits’ story began in 2020, when ten journalists came together to publish their first few articles. Four years later, what started as a pilot project turned into one of Austria’s most innovative media start-ups. ◼ The media industry isn’t diverse enough, and too often, the same voices tell the same stories. “If journalism is supposed to reflect the world as it is, it can only do so if many different voices are part of it,” says editor-in-chief Lisa Kreutzer. ◼ That conviction drives the work of andererseits: To open space for people usually excluded from newsrooms – especially those with learning difficulties and other disabilities. ◼ In Germany alone, nearly ten million people rely on “easy understandable language” to follow complex issues. Yet, they are left behind by traditional reporting that leans on jargon. “Democracy has a problem when journalism doesn’t reach everyone,” Kreutzer adds. ◼ andererseits is incorporated as a non-profit social enterprise. “We wanted people inside the newsroom – especially people with disabilities – to decide the big questions,” explains Lisa Kreutzer. ◼ Diversity isn’t charity – it’s a quality feature of journalism, because newsrooms without different perspectives simply cannot tell the best stories. Inside the newsroom, daily work is shaped by the principle of “supported authorship.” Every story is created by inclusive teams of journalists – with and without disabilities. ◼ Journalism schools remain largely out of reach for people with disabilities. According to Lisa Kreutzer, the barriers are systemic: Programs are too exclusive, working conditions too exploitative, and awards too often used as stand-ins for fair pay. ◼ As Kreutzer puts it: “Inclusive journalism isn’t charity or activism – it’s better journalism. Different perspectives make better stories, and better stories create a healthier democracy.” ❓By opening the doors to those traditionally excluded, andererseits is proving that a more accessible media landscape is possible. How can other newsrooms adapt their structures to ensure their reporting truly reaches and represents everyone? 📍Read the full article on our website here.

Mathilde Varda is an editor at Le Courrier des Balkans, a French-language outlet founded in 1998 and funded mostly by its readers. She joined us on the FixEd podcast to talk about covering a region that is often either ignored or oversimplified, what cross-border journalism actually looks like in practice, and the work that goes into keeping a small independent media alive. Watch the full interview on YouTube or listen to the episode on your platform of choice: ▶️ Youtube 🎵 Spotify 🍏 Apple 🎧 Other Editor's note: This conversation is part of a series produced under the MOST project. Media Organisations for Stronger Transnational Journalism is a European Commission initiative connecting six non-profit media outlets across Europe. The Fix works as a mentor and consultant on product, audience, and business development for partner newsrooms.

Established in 2017, with the support of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Investigative Reporting Laboratory (IRL) is a non-profit media organisation that exposes corruption and abuses of power in North Macedonia. ◼ "When the government changed in 2017 in Macedonia, many journalists were told that investigative reporting is no longer needed," says Saska Cvetkovska, co-founder and editor-producer. ◼ To be closer with their audience, they developed a “mobile newsrooms” model: the team temporarily sets up in underserved communities to build trust, crowdsource leads, and co-design reporting with citizens. ◼ "One or two times per year, depending on the funding, we will move the whole newsroom to another region, and we will stay there for a few weeks, sometimes in hotels or in people's houses," Cvetkovska says. ◼ IRL wanted to address in the process the problem with trust in the media. “If people don't trust us, then we have nothing. That’s our only value," she adds. ◼ Their audience proves demand fo IRL’s product. Macedonia’s population is just two million people, but their last documentary had more than a million views, proving its popularity. ◼ Funding remains a challenge. "[Last] year, the US cut the USAID funding. We lost 40% of the funding, but unlike many others, we won't be forced to close, and we didn't fire anybody," Cvetkovska explains. ◼ There are of course risks involved with IRL’s work. "I personally got bodyguards several times in my career in the past decade. I've been wired by the Macedonian government," she says. ◼ Once they conducted an investigation about the Turkish and Northern Cyprus mafia. They published this story about Erdogan in small circles of oligarchs and how his son is controlling the drug market and the money laundering market in the Balkans. ◼ "Three months after the publication, they killed our source in the Netherlands. The day after, we received the SLAAPs from the International Balkan University, which is a university founded by Erdogan and a small circle of his political and economical allies." ❓"Less than 1% of the information circulating in the Western Balkan media is quality information," Cvetkovska concludes. How can independent media survive and rebuild trust in such hostile environments? 📍 Read Romain Chauvet’s full article on our website to find out.

How can a highly specialised publication turn complex policy reporting into a sustainable media product? In the latest edition of FixEd, Priti Patnaik, founding editor of Geneva Health Files, explains how the newsletter serves expert readers, builds trust, and reports on the power behind global health policy. Watch the full interview or listen to the episode on your platform of choice: ▶️ Youtube 🎵 Spotify 🍏 Apple 🎧 Other platforms

Vlast, a niche media outlet in exile offering exclusive reporting on the Russian authorities, is more than an international edition of its Russian-language counterpart. This approach, unconventional among exiled Russian media, appears to be paying off. Veronica Snoj spoke with journalist Farida Rustamova.

The Russian government is pushing people to download MAX, a new messaging app. How can this impact Russian independent media, which has largely taken refuge in Telegram, one of the few uncensored spaces still available to the Russian public? ◼ Over the summer of 2025, a new app began attracting attention: the MAX messenger, launched earlier this year by a subsidiary of VK, the popular Russian Facebook alternative. ◼ There was one thing that distinguished this app from others: Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for not publicly using social media, personally endorsed it. “Never before has Putin personally promoted or advertised an IT product,” Mikhail Klimarev, the executive director of the Russian digital rights group Internet Protection Society, told The Fix. ◼ Branded as the Russian “national” messenger, MAX is being pushed as the platform for all administrative communication, as well as for online school classes. ◼ As of September 2025, the MAX app has been pre-installed on all smartphones sold in Russia. ◼ In October 2025, VK announced that the number of registered MAX users had exceeded 40 million, roughly a quarter of Russia’s population. ◼ As Russia pushes the MAX app, it also clamps down on popular apps it cannot directly control. ◼ In October 2025, it blocked the call function in Telegram and WhatsApp, two of the most widely used messenger apps in the country. ◼ “I think that in the near future, as soon as some KPI [key performance indicator] is met, say MAX’s installs reaching half of all Russians, maybe 50 million downloads, at that point they might block all the other messengers,” Klimarev says. 📍What are the long-term implications for digital freedom and independent journalism in Russia? Read the full article on our website.

Reader memberships, advertising, grants, corporate philanthropy – @mistomediaonline is building toward four equal revenue streams to stay independent. Hleb Liapeika examines how one Ukrainian regional outlet is working toward self-sufficiency during the war.

How can a deaf journalism student work in the audio-heavy radio medium? Romain Chauvet spoke with Xavier Vinaixa, the technical director of a project that uses AI to enable just that.

Over 60% of Spain's journalism students are women. Only 5% of its major media outlets are led by one. Spain is a pioneer for women’s rights – but is it a model for women in journalism? Romain Chauvet reports for The Fix.

Across Europe, journalism is stepping out of the newsroom and onto the stage. What began as sporadic experiments has evolved into a field of its own, hailed for its potential to rebuild trust, reach new audiences, and diversify revenue. ◼ When journalism moves from the page to the stage, it reaches people far beyond its usual readership, giving smaller outlets a visibility they could never buy. "Obviously, it’s a different crowd from an investigative magazine like Dossier," says founder Florian Skrabal. "You reach different age groups, more culturally minded people.” ◼ Catarina Carvalho of Mensagem de Lisboa noticed the same: "A lot don’t [know us]. They come because it’s a live journalism event, not because they know us.” ◼ The impact goes beyond ticket sales. "It’s difficult to measure," Skrabal says, "but we see bigger media attention. Even the Financial Times wrote about our plays.” Live journalism can also drive reader revenue. "We see spikes in membership on the nights and days after a show," Skrabal notes, estimating that 5-15% of audience members become paying supporters. ◼ Working with theatre professionals also reshapes how journalists think about storytelling. "We learned that a short, straight-to-the-point live narrative can be more impactful than a long, traditional article,” explains Carvalho. ◼ But these projects aren't a fit for every newsroom. "If your model is fast news, it will not work,” Skrabal says. “But if you focus on slow, investigative or explanatory journalism, it becomes another way to reach your audience.” ◼ For Carvalho, the goal is impact over scale. "It’s not about numbers. It’s about people understanding the value of journalism. When a hundred people in one room really connect with a story, that matters more than a thousand who just scroll past it online.” ❓This move to live performance suggests a powerful way to deepen audience connection and demonstrate the value of reporting. In an increasingly digital world, what is the role of live, in-person events in building trust and sustainability for journalism? 📍Read Cristiana Bedei’s full article on our website to learn more.

Ivana Pavlović, Head of Strategic Planning at Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, joined Orsolya Seregely on the latest episode of our Fix.Ed podcast to talk about BIRN’s 20-year journey, its audience engagement strategy, the role of Balkan Insight, and how a regional investigative network holds together across countries, languages, and political pressures. Watch the full interview or listen to the episode on your platform of choice: ▶️ Youtube 🎧 Podcast Note: This episode is part of the MOST (Media Organisations for Stronger Transnational Journalism) project, a European Commission initiative where The Fix works as a mentor and consultant on product, audience, and business development for partner newsrooms.

French local media Groupe Actu successfully shifted from a fully free digital model to paid subscriptions across its 120 outlets. Romain Chauvet spoke with its deputy director, Amandine Briand, about the transition.

As platforms deprioritise news and media ownership concentrates, eight independent French media outlets have formed a powerful alliance. Their solution: "La Presse Libre" (The Free Press), a joint subscription platform designed to regain control over news distribution and combat the influence of conservative billionaires. ◼ The project was born from a growing concern over media concentration in France. "It was Daniel Schneiderman, a well-known figure in the media world... who took up the cause, trying to bring together a number of media outlets around this idea to create a single subscription and a platform to unify them," project manager Jean-Marie Leforestier told Romain Chauvet. ◼ The platform offers a single €19.90/month subscription for access to all eight outlets, with a dedicated team curating a selection of articles each day. A key feature is a shared search engine. "At a time when search engine results are polluted by AI-generated sites, being able to offer a safe search engine within our ecosystem was crucial," Leforestier explains. "This is a response to the bewildered reader." ◼ Convincing the outlets to join required a leap of faith, banking on the idea that "together we'll sell far more than each one could on their own." The initial results are promising, with over 2,500 subscribers in the first month. ◼ Crucially, the platform is attracting new readers. "External subscribers outnumber those coming from our media outlets," Leforestier notes. "This means that it's also a tool that won't just pool existing subscribers but will actually convince new people to subscribe to independent publications." ❓This alliance represents a powerful strategy for independent media to compete against web giants by offering a trusted, curated ecosystem. Could collaborative platforms like this be the key to sustainability for independent journalism? 📍 Read the full interview on our website.

A student-run Hungarian outlet got the new education minister's first interview, has been quoted by senior journalists, and funds itself by throwing parties. We profiled Balzac, founded by two 15-year-olds in 2022.

🇺🇦How does a 14-person newsroom shape Ukraine’s foreign policy? European Pravda punches above its weight in shaping Ukraine’s foreign policy. Founded in the wake of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, the 14-person newsroom covers what has been Ukraine’s defining national project ever since: integration into the EU and NATO. It is an influential voice on that path, read and watched by top policymakers. For the latest episode of FixEd, The Fix's Anton Protsiuk spoke with co-founder and editor Sergiy Sydorenko and English-language editor Daria Meshcheriakova about shaping policy as a small newsroom, not pivoting to video early enough, and hoping to one day fulfill their mission and go fishing. 📺You can watch this interview on YouTube, listen on any podcast platform, or read a transcript of the conversation. Note: this conversation is part of a series produced under the MOST project. Media Organisations for Stronger Transnational Journalism (MOST) is a European Commission initiative that connects six non-profit digital media outlets across Europe. The Fix works as a mentor and consultant on product, audience, and business development for partner newsrooms.