Médias & Démocratie

What Médias & Démocratie does

Médias & Démocratie (M&D) is a French-registered non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2015 that operates as an Afro-European platform for journalism training and professional exchange. Headquartered in Orthez, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, with regional offices or active training axes in Mauritania (Nouakchott), Tunisia (Tunis), Algeria (Algiers), Cameroon (Yaoundé), and multiple French cities (Bordeaux, Marseille, Pau, Strasbourg, Tours), M&D delivers training to African journalists through tripartite partnerships with French embassy SCAC services, African and French journalism schools, and French media newsrooms. The organization has trained more than 200 African journalists from 12+ countries since 2016, scaling from 26 journalists in 2016-2017 to 175 in 2021-2024.

M&D's core offerings center on the Académie de Formation de Formateurs Africains (AFFA), which includes paired training editions (Nouakchott-Marseille, Yaoundé-Bordeaux, Tunis-Bordeaux), the annual Prix Africains du Journalisme d'Investigation (PAJI) awards, media literacy education (Éducation aux Médias et à l'Information, EMI), specialized fact-checking programs (DÉSINFOX Cameroun, CeJIFAM), and a proprietary secure video conferencing platform called Web Débats en Ligne (WDL) developed in 2020. Operational infrastructure consists of the website (mediasetdemocratie.com), newsletters, social media, and the WDL tool; M&D is functionally a training and convening platform rather than a technology company. Governance rests on an Editorial Committee of 58 professional journalists from 13 African and 2 European countries, with Stéphane LePoittevin as President and Olivier Piot as Executive Director.

The business model is grant-funded: approximately 100% of financial support comes from public sector actors (French regional councils including Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Bordeaux Métropole, embassy SCAC services across 10+ African countries, the Organisation internationale de la francophonie, and the CFI MediaLab Campus award). Membership dues, donations, and tightly capped private sector contributions (no partner may exceed 35% of annual budget) supplement this base. Programs are free to selected trainees and delivered at no commercial price; there is no SaaS or productized revenue stream.

Name

Médias & Démocratie

Legal name

Association Médias & Démocratie (M&D)

Website

https://mediasetdemocratie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Médias & Démocratie is a French non-profit association (founded 2015) operating an Afro-European platform that trains African journalists across 12+ countries in partnership with French embassies, journalism schools, and media groups. It runs training academies, the PAJI investigative journalism prize, and a proprietary web debate tool, funded primarily by French public sector grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Training and Media Development

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH), International News & Current Affairs Broadcasters (MPABAEAD)

Keywords

• Journalism training programs
• Media literacy education
• Investigative journalism awards
• Professional journalist development
• Press freedom advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Orthez

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Funding: Since 2016, nearly 100% of financial aid comes from public sector actors in France and Africa, including French regional councils (Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bordeaux Métropole), French embassy SCAC services, and the Organisation internationale de la francophonie (OIF).
2. Grants and Awards: M&D receives program grants such as the CFI MediaLab Campus award (€15,000 in 2019 and 2020), and support from agencies such as CFI. No single financial partner may fund more than 35% of the annual budget.
3. Membership Dues: M&D collects annual membership dues from all members and adherents of the association.
4. Donations and Patrons: M&D accepts donations from individuals and patrons, with associated tax advantages given its French loi 1901 non-profit association status.
5. Private Sector Partnerships: M&D may engage private sector actors with strict ethical controls over their activities. No single partner may exceed 35% of annual budget.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Médias & Démocratie is a non-profit association that trains African journalists through thematic training cycles, paired African-French editions (Nouakchott-Marseille, Yaoundé-Bordeaux, Tunis-Bordeaux), workshops, conferences, peer-to-peer seminars, and media literacy education (EMI). It also confers the annual Prix Africains du Journalisme d'Investigation (PAJI) awards and operates the proprietary Web Débats en Ligne (WDL) video conferencing platform for remote events. All programs are delivered free to selected beneficiaries through partnerships with journalism schools, French embassies, and French newsrooms.

Product overview

Médias & Démocratie operates as a unified platform offering journalism training and media development services rather than a modular software product. The core offering consists of the Académie de Formation de Formateurs Africains (AFFA) which delivers training programs including paired editions (M&D Nouakchott-Marseille, M&D Yaoundé-Bordeaux, M&D Tunis-Bordeaux), the annual Prix Africains du Journalisme d'Investigation (PAJI) awards, media literacy education (EMI), and virtual debate tools (Web Débats en Ligne). Additional offerings include conferences, workshops, and peer-to-peer seminars. All programs focus on journalism ethics, independence, and practical skills through immersion in European newsrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AFFA (Académie de Formation de Formateurs Africains): Training Academy for African Trainers - part of M&D's training infrastructure
• PAJI (Prix Africains du Journalisme d'Investigation)
• WDL (Web Débats en Ligne)
• EMI (Éducation aux Médias et à l'Information)

Products and services

• Académie de Formation de Formateurs Africains (AFFA) A trainer academy that trains African journalists on ethics, independence, and practical journalism skills through immersive programs in African and European newsrooms.
• Prix Africains du Journalisme d'Investigation (PAJI) Annual awards recognizing investigative journalism produced by African journalists, with ceremonies held in African countries.
• Éditions Jumelage M&D (Paired Editions) Paired training programs that link African journalists with European newsrooms, including the M&D Nouakchott-Marseille, M&D Yaoundé-Bordeaux, and M&D Tunis-Bordeaux editions.
• Éducation aux Médias et à l'Information (EMI) Media and Information Literacy education programs delivered through partnerships with high schools in Africa and France, connecting professional journalists with students and teachers.
• Web Débats en Ligne (WDL) A secure web-based video conferencing and online debate tool developed by M&D in 2020 to conduct virtual conferences and webinars, enabling remote participation across Africa and Europe.
• DÉSINFOX Cameroun Fact-checking training program focused on combating disinformation, implemented in Cameroon across multiple editions.
• CeJIFAM Training program for African journalists implemented through a specific partnership arrangement.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 200 African journalists trained across 12+ countries since 2016; 175 journalists trained from 2021 to 2024 alone.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Sud Ouest GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPermanent partner since 2017, providing newsroom immersion placements in Sud Ouest, La République des Pyrénées (Pau), and La Charente Libre (Angoulême). Also co-organizes public events and colloquia.
• IJBA - Institut de Journalisme de Bordeaux AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey French journalism school partner hosting M&D training debates, workshops, and seminars. Enables student exchanges between Africa and France.
• EJCAM - École de journalisme Aix-MarseillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarseille-based journalism school partner in the M&D Nouakchott–Marseille training axis.
• CUEJ - Centre universitaire en journalisme (Strasbourg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrasbourg-based journalism university center partnering with M&D for student exchanges.
• IPSI - Institut de la Presse et des Sciences de l'Information (Université de La Manouba, Tunis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM&D's primary African training partner since 2016, hosting M&D programs in Tunis and enabling journalism student participation. Nearly 50 students trained through four editions.
• ENJSI - École nationale de journalisme et des sciences de l'Information (Algiers)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlgerian national journalism school that entered the M&D program in 2019 via the SCAC of the French Embassy in Algiers.
• Reporters sans frontières (RSF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading international NGO for press freedom supporting M&D's mission to defend journalism and media independence in Africa.
• Le Monde AfriquemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench African media outlet collaborating with M&D on conferences and joint content initiatives, including the 'L'Afrique le jour d'après' series of four video conferences.
• AFRAHTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly partner in 2016-2017 for M&D's first training cycles alongside IFT, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Sud Ouest group.
• La Presse (Tunis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisian newspaper that has covered M&D activities and served as a media partner for conferences.
• Institut Français de Tunis (IFT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Institute in Tunis co-organizing M&D conferences and debates, and hosting public events for the platform.
• Les dernières nouvelles d'Alsace, La Provence, La Marseillaise, Radio Grenouille, MarsactuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious French regional and local media outlets listed as partners supporting M&D's newsroom immersion programs and joint events.
• African Journalism Schools: CESTI, ESSTIC and othersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple African journalism schools (CESTI, ESSTIC, and others) listed as partners enabling M&D training programs across the continent.
• IFM Radio Foundation (Tunis)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisian radio foundation partnering with M&D for training and media literacy activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BBC Media Action: BBC's international development charity running journalism training, media literacy, and editorial support projects in low- and middle-income countries, including francophone Africa. Directly comparable in training-plus-public-interest framing.
• WAN-IFRA: World Association of News Publishers, running global programs on press freedom, editorial standards, and newsroom capacity-building, with strong African membership. Comparable audience and standards-focused mission.
• Free Press Unlimited: Dutch media-development NGO supporting independent journalism in restrictive environments, including francophone Africa, through training, safety, and local-media support. Comparable mission and beneficiary profile.
• DW Akademie: Germany's international media-development organization, part of Deutsche Welle, delivering journalism training and media-literacy programs across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Closest analog to M&D's training-plus-ethics mandate at larger scale.
• CFI (Agence Française de Développement Médias): French media-development agency funded by the French government that runs journalism training, media innovation, and capacity-building programs internationally, including the MediaLab Campus program in which M&D is itself a laureate. Highly comparable in mission and donor base.
• International Center for Journalists (ICFJ): US-based non-profit delivering journalism training, fellowships, and cross-border exchanges globally, with active programs in Africa. Closely comparable in international journalist-exchange and training activity.
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ): Global federation of journalists' unions and associations, running training, safety, and ethical-standards programs worldwide. Comparable focus on journalist professionalisation, ethics, and press freedom.
• Internews: US-headquartered international NGO supporting independent media and journalism training worldwide, including major African programs. Overlapping mission in press freedom and journalist capacity-building.

Broad incumbents

• Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES): German political foundation with long-standing media-development and journalism-training programs across Africa, including francophone countries. A larger, multi-mandate incumbent that overlaps with M&D's training and democracy mission.

Others

• Reporters sans frontières (RSF): International press-freedom NGO that is a strategic partner of M&D; while primarily an advocacy and safety organisation rather than a training provider, it shares the journalist-protection and media-independence agenda that underpins M&D's work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz5Ftvv1uxdfPxMULMG6bsQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/mediasetdemocratie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mediasetdemocratie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Médias & Démocratie