To ensure we will always remain independent, in 2019 we changed our legal structure to establish the Fonds pour une presse libre ('Fund for a Free Press', or FPL), a non-profit entity that safeguards Mediapart’s ownership and guarantees that our publication can never be sold or bought.

This protective ownership structure also comes with its own challenge: that of having to rely solely on ourselves to fund our journalistic work. To achieve this, we maintain a rigorous management culture aimed at sustaining the profitability that Mediapart has enjoyed since 2011. Each March, Mediapart publishes all its figures, accounts and results. This exercise in transparency sets us apart from many other French media outlets.

• Our 2023 figures
• Our impact report (in French)

Our journalistic work, based on rigour and honesty, relies on verifying facts. This starts with on-the-ground reporting, gathering witness accounts and checking and cross-checking our information, while upholding the right of reply and the absolute protection of our sources.

We aim to be beyond reproach in our work, to be firmly on the side of verified information and against snap judgements, prejudice, PR spin or any form of ideological propaganda, from wherever it may come.

Our distinctive editorial stance sets us apart as a publication.

We do not chase the latest headline or try to cover every news item. Instead, we strive for distinction and clarity in our editorial choices. As readers face ever-growing “information fatigue”, we believe our role is to help sift through the chatter, prioritise the news, take a step back and provide context. In short, to make sense of the world and to bring understanding.

To play our full role in illuminating public debate, the articles we publish must not only be of high quality, they must also be accessible.

We seek to address everyone.

As such, we stand for progressive values of justice and solidarity. We fight for a more inclusive society, for greater freedom, genuine equality and dignity for all, whatever their sex, gender, origins, skin colour or culture. We keep a close watch on the plight of minority groups and the rights of those from abroad. We want to help maintain an Earth that is habitable for all. We attack the damaging impact of the presidentialism of France's ‘monarchical’ Fifth Republic. We reject the bland acceptance of the far-right, and thus refuse to speak to Marine Le Pen or members of her Rassemblement National party. Lastly, at a time when wars have made a return, we are an anti-imperialist, anti-authoritarian and anti-colonialist publication.

We favour no political or business interests.

We are not a mouthpiece for any group, nor for any individual. The only side we take is that of the right to know.

We investigate all political parties, whether on the Right or the Left, as well as multinationals and their bosses, unions and their leaders, charities and how they run, online influencers and any public figure claiming whatever kind of authority.

We do not look the other way for the wrong reasons.

• Cédric Lepécuchelle, director of subscription services
• Charline Boussiquet, subscriber relations manager
• Samuel Hunt, subscriber relations
• Fanny Jean, subscriber relations
• Elsa Lalet, subscriber relations
• Ea Pericat, subscriber relations
• Tiphaine Rigaud, professional subscriptions manager
• Alexandre Brunet, professional subscriber relations
• Nicolas Lefol, professional subscriber research officer
• Damien Gauvin, editorial relations
• Marianne Roux, editorial relations
• Emmanuelle Sammut, editorial relations

• Renaud Creus, director of communications
• Claire Denis, events management and partnerships
• Ana Ferrer, communications
• Tarik Safraoui, communications

• Cécile Sourd, General Manager
• Angélique Bourgeois, finance and management control
• Louis Hammel, accounts
• Hélène Vandenbilcke, Human Ressources manager
• Sophie Lamy, head of personnel and pay administration
• Pauline Le Merrer, Human Resources
• Simon Gamelon, security/safety, general services admin and reception
• Antoine Bart, security/safety, general services admin and reception
• Céline Brizard, legal affairs department
• Delhia Ikhlef, administration of contributors

• Julie Sockeel, Chief Marketing Officer
• Clara Cerdan, head of CRM
• Stéphanie Frick, marketing product manager
• Philippe Locteau, mobile marketing product manager
• Olivia Plécy, marketing product manager
• Tam-Kien Duong, data analyst
• Justine Vernier, graphic designer
• Roxane Thebaud, traffic manager

1. March 2008. Mediapart is launched
2. June 2009. First publication of ‘The Karachi affair’ investigations into political corruption and illegal funding surrounding French weapons sales abroad
3. April and June 2010. Publication of the investigative series ‘Racial quotas in French football teams’ and the ‘Liliane Bettencourt’ scandal revealing how the billionaire L’Oréal heiress was preyed upon for financial gain
4. July 2011. First publication of the series of investigations into the shady activities of Ziad Takieddine, a Paris-based business intermediary
5. December 2011. Mediapart’s first year of profit
6. May 2012. First major investigations into the ‘Gaddafi-Sarkozy’ presidential election funding allegations
7. December 2012. Investigation revealing budget minister Jérôme Cahuzac’s secret bank account abroad
8. September 2014. The number of subscribers to Mediapart passes the 100,000 mark
9. November 2014. Investigation into Russian funding of the French far-right Front National party
10. June 2015. Launch of the quarterly magazine La Revue du crieur

11. May 2016. Investigation into sexual assault allegations against Denis Baupin
, deputy speaker of the National Assembly
12. December 2016. First season of the Football Leaks investigations into corruption on and off the pitch
13. March 2018. The first of a yearly Mediapart ‘festival’ of public debates and presentations in Paris
14. March 2018. Carine Fouteau and Stéphane Alliès appointed as Mediapart’s co-editors, succeeding co-founder François Bonnet
15. February 2019. Foiled attempt by police and public prosecutors to search Mediapart’s offices after its revelations about Emmanuel Macron’s security aide Alexandre Benalla
16. October 2019. Mediapart permanently secures its independence in a novel financial structure
17. November 2019. The #MeToo revelations of actress Adèle Haenel
18. April 2020. The number of subscribers to Mediapart passes the 200,000 mark
19. October 2020. The creation of a post of editorial lead on gender issues
20. January and November 2021. Creation of a new mobile app and new website layout
21. February 2022. The release in French cinema theatres of the documentary ‘Media Crash’, an investigation co-produced by Mediapart into the concentration of media ownership in France by a handful of billionaires
22. March 2023. Cécile Sourd is appointed as General Manager, succeeding co-founder Marie-Hélène Smiejan
23. October 2023. Lénaïg Bredoux and Valentine Oberti are appointed as new co-editors
24. March 2024. Carine Fouteau succeeds Edwy Plenel as president and publishing director of Mediapart

The co-founders (François Bonnet, Laurent Mauduit, Edwy Plenel and Marie-Hélène Smiejan) carefully organised a smooth process for handing over Mediapart’s future management to a younger team.

After ring-fencing Mediapart’s independence within a not-for-profit structure, the Fonds pour une presse libre (Fund for a Free Press, or FPL) in 2019, and the appointment of Cécile Sourd as General Manager, succeeding Marie-Hélène Smiejan in 2023, when Lénaïg Bredoux and Valentine Oberti were also appointed as our new co-editors, that transition was finally completed in early 2024.

That was when, on March 14th 2024, after a consultation procedure involving all of Mediapart’s staff, Carine Fouteau was appointed as president and publishing director of Mediapart. A member of the editorial team since Mediapart’s creation in 2008, Carine succeeds co-founder Edwy Plenel who in turn, and in accordance with our statutes, was appointed to our board of governors after its members unanimously approved his application.