Mediapart

Mediapart's income is only derived from paid subscribers. Unlike most French newspapers, Mediapart refuses to display any advertising. It also refuses all commercial partnerships.{{cite news |last=Rubio |first=Marthe |date=11 March 2011 |title=How France’s Mediapart Built a Successful News Model Around Investigative Journalism |url=https://gijn.org/2022/03/16/france-mediapart-successful-model-investigative-journalism/ |access-date=March 16, 2022 |publisher=Global Investigative Journalism Network}} Its official slogan is "Only Our Readers Can Buy Us". The New York Times has called Mediapart "France's leading investigative news site".{{cite news |date=2022 |title=The Fall of the 'Sun King' of French TV, and the Myth of Seduction |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/28/world/europe/france-metoo-patrick-poivre-darvor.html |publisher=New York Times}} The Financial Times described the editor as an "ex-Trotskyist rocking the French establishment".{{cite news |date=2013 |title=Edwy Plenel : The ex-trotkyst rocking the french establishment |url=https://www.ft.com/content/a7c99e22-a35a-11e2-8f9c-00144feabdc0 |work=Financial Times}}

Mediapart consists of two main sections: Le Journal, run by professional journalists, and Le Club, a collaborative forum edited by its subscriber community. In 2011, Mediapart launched FrenchLeaks, a whistleblower website inspired by WikiLeaks.{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Sydney |date=12 March 2011 |title=New WikiLeaks Partner Launches FrenchLeaks, Canadian Man Launches QuebecLeaks |url=http://imediaethics.org/new-wikileaks-partner-launches-frenchleaks-canadian-man-launches-quebecleaks/ |access-date=29 June 2015 |work=iMediaEthics |publisher=Art Science Research Laboratory}}{{cite news |last=Cherubini |first=Federica |date=11 March 2011 |title=FrenchLeaks launches: a new whistle-blowing site from Mediapart |url=http://www.editorsweblog.org/2011/03/11/frenchleaks-launches-a-new-whistle-blowing-site-from-mediapart |access-date=29 June 2015 |work=Editor's Weblog |publisher=World Association of Newspapers and New Publishers}} Mediapart was originally a for-profit business.

Mediapart was originally a for-profit business.

In 2018, the newspaper was converted by shareholders into a non-profit.{{Cite web |title=" Mediapart " modifie sa gouvernance pour préserver son indépendance |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2019/07/02/mediapart-modifie-sa-gouvernance-pour-preserver-son-independance_5484502_3236.html |access-date=2023-02-02}}

The newspaper is now owned by Le Fond pour une Presse Libre, a non-profit trust created to secure the financial and editorial independence of Mediapart in perpetuity and support freedom of the press. By design, trust board members don't have any authority over the newsroom.{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2019 |title=STATUTS Fonds pour une presse libre |url=https://fondspresselibre.org/statuts |access-date=2019-08-14}}

Mediapart has played a central role in the investigation and revelation of several major French political scandals, including:

• The Bettencourt affair in 2010.{{cite news|last=Jacinto|first=Leela|title=How a start-up news site broke and rode the Bettencourt scandal|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20100706-mediapart-web-site-bettencourt-scandal-sarkozy-internet-scoop|access-date=20 March 2012|publisher=France 24|date=6 July 2010}}
• The Sarkozy-Gaddafi case in 2012. Mediapart made public two official Libyan documents suggesting the existence of a €50 million transfer from the Libyan regime to Nicolas Sarkozy's successful 2007 campaign for President of France. In June 2021, Mediapart reported that Michèle Marchand, an influential figure in the French celebrity press and proponent of Nicolas Sarkozy, had been taken into custody and interviewed over alleged witness tampering in relation to a witness in the Sarkozy corruption trial.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/nicolas-sarkozy-case-paparazzi-queen-michele-marchand-in-custody-over-alleged-witness-tampering |title=Nicolas Sarkozy case: 'paparazzi queen' in custody over alleged witness tampering |last=Willsher |first=Kim |date=2021-06-04 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2021-06-04}}
• The Cahuzac affair in 2012. Mediapart made public an audio recording from 2000 compromising Jérôme Cahuzac, then France's Minister for the Budget, in tax fraud.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/world/europe/french-minister-steps-down-in-swiss-bank-investigation.html |title=French Minister Steps Down in Swiss Bank Investigation |first=Scott |last=Sayare |work=The New York Times |date=19 March 2013 |access-date=29 June 2015}}
• Former National Front candidate Jean-Claude Veillard's role in the payment of taxes to ISIS middlemen by Lafarge in 2013–2014.{{cite news|last1=de Boni|first1=Marc|title=Un ex-candidat du FN impliqué dans les relations troubles entre Lafarge et Daech|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2017/05/03/01002-20170503ARTFIG00318-un-ex-candidat-du-fn-implique-dans-les-relations-troubles-entre-lafarge-et-daech.php|access-date=4 May 2017|work=Le Figaro|date=3 May 2017}}
• The Benalla affair. On 31 January 2019 Mediapart released voice recordings attributed to Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase that suggested serious offenses committed by the two.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediapart.fr/en/journal/france/080219/probe-launched-russian-oligarch-contract-linked-elysee-security-aide|title=Probe launched into Russian oligarch contract linked to Élysée security aide|first=Fabrice Arfi, Antton Rouget and Marine|last=Turchi|website=Mediapart}} On 4 February 2019, the office of Mediapart was subjected to a raid which failed as Mediapart refused it on the ground that the warrant was not authorised by a judge. The raid was in connection with a new investigation concerning a breach of Benalla's and Crase's privacy, prompted by the office of the Prime Minister of France.{{Cite news|url=https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/060219/benalla-matignon-transmis-des-elements-au-parquet-dit-griveaux|title=Benalla: Matignon a transmis des éléments au parquet, dit Griveaux|date=6 February 2019|work=Reuters via Mediapart|access-date=10 February 2019}} Neither of the two has launched action against Mediapart for breach of privacy. Mediapart sees in the raid an attempt by the government to reveal and intimidate the source of the voice recordings and to stifle journalistic rights to inform the public.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediapart.fr/en/journal/france/040219/mediapart-blocks-prosecutors-bid-search-offices-over-macron-security-aide-affair|title=Mediapart blocks prosecutors' bid to search offices over Macron security aide affair|first=La Rédaction De|last=Mediapart|website=Mediapart}} Mediapart has never been subject to such a raid before, and received support from other press organisations and the European Federation of Journalists.{{Cite news|url=https://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2019/02/08/france-mediapart-secret-sources-threatened-by-police-search-attempt/|title=France: Mediapart secret sources threatened by police search attempt|date=8 February 2019|work=European Federation of Journalists|access-date=10 February 2019}} The incident was reported by The New York Times,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/world/europe/mediapart-raid.html|title=Attempted Raid on News Site's Offices Prompts Outcry in France|last=Breeden|first=Aurelien|date=8 February 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=10 February 2019}} and also by The Washington Post.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/macron-under-fire-after-attempted-search-of-french-news-outlet-mediapart/2019/02/06/6101c7e6-78c7-4a63-92a0-ac0f17a84593_story.html|title=Macron under fire after attempted search of French news outlet Mediapart|last=McAuley|first=James|date=6 February 2019|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=10 February 2019}}
• In July 2019, Mediapart revealed that €63,000 of public money had been spent by François de Rugy on the refurbishment of his official residence, including €19,000 on a dressing room, and published photographs of lobster and champagne dinners, implying profligacy at the taxpayers' expense whilst he was President of the National Assembly.{{Cite web|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-politics-derugy-idUKKCN1U71O6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712173225/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-france-politics-derugy-idUKKCN1U71O6|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 July 2019|title=Chastised French minister: I hate caviar and suffer a lobster...|date=12 July 2019|work=Reuters}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20190711-lobster-champagne-france-minister-de-rugy-lavish-tax-payers-scandal-macron-paris|title=Lobster and champagne: French minister in hot water for living the lavish life on public funds|date=11 July 2019|publisher=France 24}} On 16 July 2019 Rugy resigned as Ecology Minister.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-07-16/top-french-minister-resigns-after-reports-of-lavish-lifestyle|title=Top French minister resigns after reports of lavish lifestyle|date=17 July 2019|website=Los Angeles Times}}
• In April 2021, Mediapart revealed that luxury giant LVMH secretly paid Bernard Squarcini, the former head of French intelligence, to put journalist François Ruffin under illegal surveillance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/190421/la-police-met-nu-le-systeme-d-espionnage-de-lvmh-contre-francois-ruffin|title=La police met à nu le système d’espionnage de LVMH contre François Ruffin|date=19 April 2021|website=Mediapart}} Ruffin was preparing a documentary about billionaire Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH.
• In May 2022, Mediapart revealed that Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, one of the most powerful news anchors in France, had been accused of rape and sexual assault by at least 20 different women.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/28/world/europe/france-metoo-patrick-poivre-darvor.html|title=The Fall of the ‘Sun King’ of French TV, and the Myth of Seduction|date=May 28, 2022|website=Mediapart}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.Mediapart.fr}} {{in lang|fr}}
• [https://www.mediapart.fr/en/english Mediapart English edition]
• [https://www.mediapart.fr/es/espanol Mediapart Spanish edition] {{in lang|es}}
• [https://www.frenchleaks.fr/ FrenchLeaks] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Portal bar|France|Journalism}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:French-language websites

Category:2008 establishments in France

Category:French news websites

Category:Magazines established in 2008

Category:Magazines published in Paris

Category:French-language magazines

Category:News magazines published in France

Category:Multilingual magazines