Presentation of the « Mutu » Network

« Mutu » is a network composed of over twenty radical websites dedicated to local news, located in various areas of France, Switzerland and Austria.

This network allows its members to share their experiences and put in common a number of technical resources. Each website has its specificities, but they have a set of principles in common :

1. Participatory publishing : any person or local group sharing the goals of the website can submit articles.

2. Support : the group which runs the website can help contributors with the writing and editing of their articles through a collective interface.

3. Openness : the website isn’t the property of a particular group, it aims to reflects the diversity of ideas and practices that exist locally.

4. Anti-authoritarian ideas : all the websites within the network aim to push forward emancipatory ideas and practices, resistance to authority and anti-capitalist ideals.

5. Dissemination : we take steps to ensure the content of the websites can be spread massively

6. Integration within a local context

7. Mutual aid between members of the network.

This mutual aid is at the center of the Mutu network. It allows the emergence of new websites and the reinforcement of those who already exist. It has two aspects :

  • practical : discussing media strategies and the challenges that come with our struggles, exchanging on the difficulties and successes encountered by our websites, sharing methods of writing and editing articles, etc.
  • technical : development of a common interface for our websites, hosting solutions, exchange of knowledge and technical help both in the area of security and ergonomics.

We believe that the mutualization of our resources is essential in order to produce local information in support of our struggles. It enables us to fight the hegemony of big groups that control the mass media, and therefore to build our autonomy in times of social movements and react against the offensive of far-right media.

Mail : contactmutu at mediaslibres.org
Map of mutu websites : https://mutu.mediaslibres.org/La-carte-du-reseau-Mutu-002