Media Finance Monitor - Center for Sustainable Media

The ever powerful liberal mainstream media that is no longer liberal, mainstream or particularly powerful

The “liberal mainstream media bias” critique has lost its explanatory power because the world that produced it has dissolved.

16 hrs ago • 

Peter Erdelyi

5

2

Shrinking the tent of public interest journalism

Building our identity around grievance, blended finance in CEE media, local journalism innovating in print and 26 active calls.

Nov 6 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

María Paula Ángel Benavides

9

2

2

October 2025

The pornification of human attention

Sam Altman's disingenuous announcement, OnlyFans economics, the extremification feedback loop, and why AI was always going to enter the arousal…

Oct 30 • 

Peter Erdelyi

2

1

Can journalism get so cheap that consumers just can’t pass it up?

A letter asking for more investment for the information ecosystem, the benefits of annual subscriptions, scaring the hell out of digital publishers, a…

Oct 24 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

María Paula Ángel Benavides

A new father's guide to the information ecosystem

Nine whole days into fatherhood, I'm learning that babies and journalism have something in common: neither cares much about your plans, theories, or our…

Oct 16 • 

Peter Erdelyi

8

1

The media industry should have built tech. You specifically shouldn't.

A rare European media acquisition, creators working for equity instead of cash, our MFF policy survey, a case study in profitable local news and 17…

Oct 2 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

María Paula Ángel Benavides

4

2

September 2025

How much media funding is enough?

Today: €715 million in historical EU media spending, why budget negotiations are heating up, two papers that reframe the funding debate, and your chance…

Sep 25 • 

Peter Erdelyi

2

Attempts at intimidation delivers the biggest boost in journalism funding

New research on European content consumption, a deep dive into Tangle's growth strategy, the Atlantic going free for high schools and 18 active calls.

Sep 18 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

María Paula Ángel Benavides

4

The most valuable newsletter in the universe (no, not this one, unfortunately)

The Free Press is reportedly in line for a $150–$200 million acquisition, a deal that could mark both peak content and the start of a consolidation…

Sep 11 • 

Peter Erdelyi

2

The monstrous levers controlling online traffic

Events (and perhaps left wing commentary) are the new gold, an all-expense paid workshop with us in Budapest and 23 active calls.

Sep 4 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

María Paula Ángel Benavides

3

August 2025

An in-depth look at the most important media funding programs proposed in the new EU budget

Early drafts of the AgoraEU program, the Global Europe instrument and the European Competitiveness Fund are out. Here is what they mean for the future…

Aug 28 • 

Peter Erdelyi

2

1

The definitive guide to doing media wrong

I’ve been thinking a lot about how American and European approaches to media funding, and capital in general, differ.

Aug 7 • 

Peter Erdelyi

 and 

Daniel Baranya

3

1