French Newspapers - The Press in France

French Newspapers reflect a very rich and still vigorous democratic debate in France, with many different ideas being expressed by members of the public. The newspapers listed below are the main newspapers (and most read ones) in France.


Paid-For French Newspapers

Le Canard Enchaîné

  • 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.

Courrier International

  • Based: Paris
  • Founded: 1990
  • Circulation: 187,000 (2006)
  • Owner: Le Monde
  • Topic: Translated articles from over 900 international newspapers.

La Croix (catholic)

  • 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.

Les Échos (economics)

  • 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.

The Connexion

  • Based: La Colle sur Loup/ Nice
  • Founded: 2002
  • Circulation: 42,000 subscribers (2008)
  • Topic: Articles in English for Expats to France.

L'Equipe (sports)

  • 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.

Le Figaro (right-wing)

  • 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.

France Soir

  • 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.

L'Humanité (formerly the newspaper of the French Communist Party)

  • 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.

Libération (left-wing)

  • 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.

Le Monde (centre-left, centre)

  • 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.

Le Monde Diplomatique (left-wing)

  • 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.

Le Parisien

  • 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.


Free French Newspapers

20 Minutes

  • 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.

Metro

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


Regional Newspapers in France

North and Ile-de-france

  • 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).

West

  • 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).

South-west

  • 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).

Centre-west and Massif Central

  • 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).

Mediterranean

  • L'Indépendant (Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude).
  • La Marseillaise (Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Var, Vaucluse).
  • Midi Libre (Hérault, Lozère, Gard, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Aveyron).
  • Nice-Matin (Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud).
  • La Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).
  • Corse-matin (Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud).

Alps-east

  • 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).

North-east

  • 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).




Source: Wikipedia.