Friday, January 22, 2016

Media 2016, new trends, new organizations

One can be sure of one thing: in 2016, there will be new upheavals in the media. In France, several groups are bound to move. Regional newspapers are in trouble and sales and mergers are likely. The departure of Michel Lucas, the aging chairman of Credit Mutuel means that Ebra, the chain of eastern regional dailies that belongs to the bank, could be put on sale, as it is obvious that the bankers from Strasbourg have not been able to make it a profitable business and a dynamic digital operator.

The same for group Sud Ouest. Its family owners are willing to let it go but the price offers are deceptively low.
Another process for Nice Matin. For the moment the daily belongs to its employees but it is running short on cash. Mr Estrosi the president of the Southern region is trying to find a new investor who could also be a political ally.

Another challenge for the 3 national newspapers, le Monde, le Figaro and les Echos. They must keep moving towards a global digital project. For the moment, the most successful is les Echos. Le Monde and le Figaro must be more assertive on a rigorous paywall and an attractive digital subscription offer. Still, it is obvious that France is lacking a major opearator in digital news and the Americans such as Vox, Buzzfeed, Politico Europe, keep coming. The only French success story is Mediapart but it must grow over its 110000 subscribers to survive in a very competitive world where Facebook and Google are more and more powerful.

Good luck for 2016.