Local media and citizen media are essential actors of democracy. They inform daily realities as closely as possible. They are exploring new forms of publishing. They are speaking up for the people and making them heard. They work in the territories and give full meaning to the principle of “living together”.
Despite the know-how and commitment of those who devote all their energy to making them live, none of these media could exist without determined public support.
Convinced of the need for their development in all territories, but also to allow them to be increasingly recognized as media in their own right, Fleur Pellerin decided to launch an exceptional call for projects with all the actors concerned.
Fleur Pellerin brought together about thirty of these citizen media on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 to present the details of this call for projects and to define with them the bases of a regular dialogue with the Ministry of Culture and Communication. Endowed with 1 million euros, it should support all editorial or digital initiatives that can bring these media closer to the new expectations of their audiences; foster the production of quality information; to involve the inhabitants in the production of their programmes; to encourage cooperation between the associative media and the traditional local media, France Bleu, France 3 or the regional print media. Finally, this call for projects should enable the widest possible public to become familiar with journalistic practice and thus participate in the education for information and freedom of expression, which Fleur Pellerin hopes will be accessible to all.
In addition to this unprecedented assistance that will be available this summer, Fleur Pellerin has said its willingness to set up a permanent support mechanism by taking a model on the Support Fund for Radio Expression (FSER) For more than thirty years, nearly 650 community radio stations have been able to do a tremendous job across the country. I would like this fund to be extended to all those who work on other media, web, TV, print, social networks. It is both a question of pluralism and the creation of a pool of editorial innovations. At a time when hate messages are spreading online, I am convinced that it is also a way to fight digital populism effectively, using the best tools of democracy.”