Paris (AFP)
In the space of four years, the online French news site Brut, to which Emmanuel Macron will give an interview on Friday, has gone from an information UFO to a media brand recognized in France and internationally among young people, its primary target.
Brut was born at the end of 2016 from the association of former pillars of the Canal + universe: Renaud Le Van Kim, the former producer of the "Grand Journal", Guillaume Lacroix, founder of Studio Bagel, Roger Coste, former boss of the Canal + advertising agency, and Laurent Lucas, former deputy editor-in-chief of "Petit Journal".
With in mind the idea of creating an online media, multilingual and intended for young people far from traditional media by providing "keys to understanding to decipher online information," the group explains in a statement.
"The main revolution in our use of the media is the conversation" with a young audience, 18 and 34, "to generate a positive social dialogue around major contemporary issues", explains Guillaume Lacroix, CEO of Brut, cited in a press release.
Following an editorial line on "the subjects that are close to their hearts: the social impact, the environment, the responsibility of leaders, the empowerment of women and minorities", specifies the leader.
Everything is contained in short videos broadcast exclusively on social networks (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Dailymotion, Instagram, Snapchat).
And the formula works.
According to group data, Brut's content is viewed in more than 100 countries and its videos generated 20 billion views in 2020. It claims 39 million unique viewers in Europe per month, citing the audience measurements of Tubular Audience Ratings.
Several dozen videos have been viewed millions of times.
In France, these have sometimes been the source of controversies calling into question the behavior of the police or revealing violence.
At the end of November, a journalist from Brut, Rémy Buisine, known for his coverage of protests and social movements, was molested by a police officer while covering the violent evacuation of a migrant camp in central Paris.
He will be one of the journalists who will interview Emmanuel Macron on the Brut plateau on Friday, the head of state having granted the media a long interview, lasting one and a half to two hours, which will be broadcast only online. .
Brut, headquartered in Paris, employs more than 130 people.
Profitable in France where it generates most of its income, the media has largely developed its international presence, opening offices in the United Kingdom, India, Japan, China, Mexico, Spain and the United States. United States.
© 2020 AFP