We cannot go through one day without hearing about journalists being laid off newspaper’s offices all over the world. The French press is felling down. Its decline has begun around ten years ago, when online press forced its entrance into the media market. French newspaper France soir is dying a slow death. As for the others, le Monde, le Parisien, la Tribune, Paru-vendu (1.650 employees unemployed) or medical press, the situation is not ideal either. The new generation has difficulties to buy a $1.85 (€1.40) national daily paper. It is a priorities’ matter and press does not seem to be one. Moreover, reading is clearly not the strength of young people, who are used to find all kind of free information (either reliable or not) about any topic in only a few clicks. Let’s rather call it “read-surfing” or skimming trough. In our case, the Internet, briefer and more concise media, is really fitting the 2012 spirit. For the traditional press, it is the end of an era: its resources are running low and its financial and political supports have tarnished its credibility. Good bye long term investigation that costs too much time and lawyer bills! Please, do not endanger the media! The budget for news coverage keeps on lowering every day. The topics have to be prepared over the phone or near the newspaper headquarters. The production department silences critical tones. Not only did the charm of this profession wear off, but it lost its depth and its audacity as well. And this phenomenon does not seem to be ending soon. Nevertheless, it is true that online press also has real issues. The content of the editorial is not enough to keep a newspaper alive. Even so, this transition period is being quite beneficial to this press: the advertising accounts are multiplying and paying content is strongly developing and is beginning to be taken seriously thanks to a few young powerhouse such as Médiapart or Rue 89 (French online press), that dear to throw themselves into controversy and independent investigation.

Around mid-November, the 3^rd annual meeting of the French online press labor union, Spill, (to which subscribes mismag.net) was held in Paris. There are now 80 magazines protesting all together in front of the French National Assembly deputies and the French Senate and asking for TVA reduction and more transparency in subsidies granting to the press. Online press is entering little by little into our everyday life and into public debate. But we are not quite convinced yet by its content, frequently too poor or too close to an advertorial. Because we only know too much how on the same market can coexist the better and the worst!