French National Newspapers

Paid-for newspapers

Based: Paris
Founded: 1915
Circulation: 420,300 (2005)
Owner: Les Editions Marechal/Le Canard Enchaine
Topic: Investigative journalism, particularly on French politics, and satirical commentary.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1880
Circulation: 123,000(2006)
Owner: Bayard Presse
Topic: Its topics are of general interest: world news, the economy, religion and spirituality, parenting, culture and science.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1908
Circulation: 140,313(2006)
Owner: Pearson.
Topic: It was the first daily financial newspaper owned by the British media group Pearson PLC.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1946
Circulation: 355,333(2006)
Owner: Editions Philippe Amaury
Topic: It is a nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports. The paper is particularly noted for its coverage of football (soccer), rugby, motorsports and cycling.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1826
Circulation: 321,500 (2006)
Owner: Socpresse (since March 2004 80% owned by Serge Dassault)
Topic: It Is one of the leading French morning daily newspapers. Its editorial line is conservative and has generally been supportive of the Rally for the Republic political party and its successor, the Union for a Popular Movement.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1944
Circulation: 150,000(2006)
Owner: Jean-Pierre BRUNOIS
Topic: It is a daily newspaper which was originally founded as the underground paper Défense de la France ("Defense of France") in November 1944 by Pierre Lazareff, and renamed France Soir after World War II.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1904
Circulation: 52,800 (2006)
Owner: The French Communist Party owns a 40% stake in the paper; most of the remaining shares are held by staff, readers and "friends" of the paper.
Topic: The paper is now independent, but still maintains broad links with the PCF.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1973
Circulation: 134,800 (2006)
Owner: 39% of shares in the paper are owned by Edouard de Rothschild. A staff consortium holds an 18.4% stake, and the remaining shares are owned by Pathe, the investment group 3i and friends of the paper.
Topic: Broadly speaking, Libération's editorial point of view is currently center-left. It has lived several mutations, in particular during the 1980s and 1990s.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1944
Circulation: 314,000 (2006)
Owner: Le Monde SA, 15% of which is owned by the French conglomerate Lagardere
Topic: It is considered the most popular French newspaper and is generally well respected, it is often the only French newspaper easily obtainable in non-Francophone countries.

Based: Paris
Founded: 1954
Circulation: 201,000(2006)
Owner: Le Monde
Topic: It is a monthly publication offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. Its articles are long, thoughtful, scholarly and opinionated, usually from an uncompromising leftist position.

Based: Saint-Ouen
Founded: 1944
Circulation: 502,689(2006)
Owner: groupe Amaury
Topic: It is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and suburbs.

Founded: 2002
Circulation: 870,000(2006)
Owner: groupe Amaury
It is a free daily newspaper in France. You can find it in the underground of Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes and Strasbourg.

Based: Marseille
Founded: 2002
Circulation: 870,000(2006)
Owner: groupe Amaury
It is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. You can find it in the underground of Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Rennes, Marseille, Nantes, and Lille.

La Voix du Nord (Pas-de-Calais, Nord).
Le Courrier Picard (Somme, Oise, Aisne).
Le Parisien (Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d'Oise, Essonne, Yvelines, Seine-et-Marne, Oise).
Paris-Normandie (Seine-Maritime, Eure, Yvelines).
La Presse de la Manche (Manche).
L'Union (Marne, Aisne, Ardennes, Somme).

Le Télégramme de Brest (Finistère, Côtes d'Armor, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine).
Ouest-France (Calvados, Orne, Manche, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan, Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Mayenne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Paris).
Le Maine libre (Sarthe).
Le Courrier de l'Ouest (Maine-et-Loire).
Presse-Océan (Loire-Atlantique).

Sud Ouest (Charente, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques).
La République des Pyrénées (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).
La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées (Hautes-Pyrénées).
La Dépêche du Midi (Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Aveyron, Aude, Lot-et-Garonne).

La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest (Indre, Cher, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher).
Charente libre (Charente).
Le Populaire du Centre (Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Creuse).
La Montagne (Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Allier, Creuse, Corrèze, Haute-Vienne).
Le Berry républicain (Cher).
La République du Centre (Loiret, Eure-et-Loir).
L'Écho républicain (Eure-et-Loir).
Le Journal du Centre (Nièvre).
L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire (Haute-Loire).
Centre Presse (Aveyron).

Le Dauphiné libéré (Drôme, Ardèche, Hautes-Alpes, Isère, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Vaucluse).
Le Progrès (Loire, Rhône, Ain, Jura, Haute-Loire, Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d'Or).

Le Bien Public (Côte-d'Or, Yonne).
L'Yonne Républicaine (Yonne).
L'Est républicain (Doubs, Haute-Saône, Territoire-de-Belfort, Vosges, Meuse, Meurthe-et-Moselle).
Le Journal de la Haute-Marne (Haute-Marne).
Est-Eclair (Aube).
La Liberté de l'Est (Vosges).
L'Alsace (Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin).
Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin).
Le Républicain lorrain (Moselle, Nord de la Meurthe-et-Moselle).
Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire (Saône-et-Loire).