Abstract

The aim of this paper is to deepen knowledge of CTXT, an independent digital weekly magazine founded in January 2015 by journalists from leading Spanish newspapers and that in just four years has managed to carve a niche in the current media ecosystem. Based on an ongoing ethnographic research, in this article we will focus on the analysis of its business model, a central aspect in the birth and development of a small company such as CTXT, which emerged as a key issue during our field work. In a context of great difficulty to start a new independent journalism company, this model has been possible thanks to a continuous effort of search, experimentation and diversification of sources of income and thanks to the passion for journalism and the low-paid or free work of journalists and other highly qualified professionals. The team’s effort has been focused on making productive its important symbolic capital (to build the brand of a qualified, independent and alternative journalism) and its social capital (its networks with people and other related media) for, despite its small financial capital, become relevant in the media sphere. The type of journalism that CTXT proposes, attentive to being thoughtful, critical and of quality, has managed to find its audience niche and make its voice heard in the media scene.