Support for pluralism in all-online news services
This long-term aid for pluralism, amounting to a total of €4 million per year, is intended for online press companies publishing one or more recognised online press services for political and general information, whatever their business model (free, paid or mixed). The aid aims to give as many people as possible access to a quality press and to the pluralism of ideas, thus contributing to the vitality of democratic debate.
The deadline for submitting applications is 15 July 2022.
Preparation and filing of applications for aid.
Presentation of aid
Support for pluralism in all-online news services was created by Decree no. 2021-1666 of 15 December 2021. This system is part of the “press” plan requested by the President of the Republic.
The beneficiaries
The aid benefits online press companies publishing one or more recognized online press services for political and general information (IPG). An all-online press service is a press title distributed exclusively by electronic means, not having any declination on a paper format.
Eligibility criteria
Support is granted to online news services that meet the following conditions:
- Be an online press service recognised by the Joint Committee on Publications and News Agencies (CPPAP) for political and general information;
- To be an on-line press service published by an on-line press company which can justify a closed accounting year covering the calendar year preceding the year of award of aid.
No aid can be paid to online press services:
- The contents of which resulted in a conviction by the Director of the publication, which became final in the five years preceding the application for aid, pursuant to Articles 24 or 24a of the Law of 29 July 1881 on Freedom of the Press;
- Or which do not satisfy the conditions laid down in the first paragraph of Article 30 of the Treaty Decree of No. 55-486 30 April 1955* ;
- Or who have received support from the support fund for local social information media;
- Or who have benefited from pluralism support.
*Article 30, paragraph 1 of the Decree of 30 April 1955: Natural or legal persons who apply for grants, premiums, loans and guarantees of an economic or social nature provided for by the legislation and regulations in force must show that their situation is regular, as regards both the bodies responsible for managing the social security services and the administrations responsible for collecting taxes.
Amount of aid
*Help*
The Director-General for Media and Cultural Industries decides each year on the allocation of aid.
A unit subsidy rate shall be calculated by dividing the available appropriations by the total amount of editorial expenditure in the year preceding the year in which the aid was granted by all eligible online press services.
The aid allocated to each on-line press service shall be calculated by multiplying the unit subsidy rate by the amount of editorial expenditure made by the on-line press company on behalf of the on-line press service in the preceding financial year the year in which the aid was granted.
Editorial spending exclusively includes:
- All remuneration paid to professional journalists within the meaning of Article L.7111-3 of the Labour Code and local press correspondents in the sense of Article 10 of Law No. 27-39 of 27 January 1987 ;
- All the gratuities provided for in Article L. 124-6 of the Education Code and paid to interns who are assigned journalistic assignments, up to a limit of 15% of eligible editorial expenses;
- Purchases of services, in any form, from news agencies within the meaning of Article 1 of the Order of 2 November 1945 regulating news agencies ;
- Mission expenses incurred for editorial activities.
Equipment expenses and depreciation expenses related to these expenses are not included as editorial expenses.
*Bonus*
The Director General for Media and Cultural Industries decides each year on the allocation of the bonus.
This is granted to on-line press services whose annual subscription sales price is between 30% and 160% of the average annual subscription sales price of all recognised on-line political news services and in the calendar year preceding the year in which the aid was granted.
A unit subsidy rate shall be calculated by dividing the available credits by the number of paid subscribers declared in the year preceding the year in which the aid was granted by all eligible online press services.
The subsidy granted to each all-online press service is calculated by multiplying the unit subsidy rate by the number of paying subscribers above which the unit subsidy rate is reduced by 100%.
*Financial complement*
The Director-General for Media and Cultural Industries decides each year on the allocation of the financial supplement.
This is granted to online press companies that have been established for less than three years, publishing an all-online press service that was created less than three years before the year the aid was granted.
The supplement is calculated by dividing the available appropriations by the number of on-line press services eligible for this supplement.
*Aid ceiling*
For online press companies established more than three years ago, publishing an all-online press service created more than three years ago on the date of the year in which the aid was granted, the amount of aid granted may not exceed 25 % of the total on-line press service revenue, excluding public subsidies, for the year preceding the year in which the aid was granted.
The amount of aid granted to an online press company publishing one or more all-online press services may not exceed 30 % of its operating expenses for the year in which the aid was granted.
However, aid to an eligible all-online press service may not be less than €1,500.
To submit a request, you can download the file at the bottom of the page.
Documents must be sent electronically in a readable format to: |
Please consider renaming your documents concisely.
Supporting documents with a large volume can be deposited on the server France transfer. Using other file sharing platforms (Google Drive, Dropbox...) does not guarantee that documents will be received correctly.
CONTACT
Anouk LEVOYER
Responsible for supporting media pluralism and distribution
anouk.levoyer@culture.gouv.fr
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