France: the struggle for an independent press cont

France: the struggle for an independent press continues

Around ten billionaires own 80 percent of France's daily newspapers as well as TV and radio stations which together account for around half of the total audience rates. However, resistance to this concentration process is growing.

President Macron in September 2023 in an interview that was broadcast live on YouTube and Tiktok. (© picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP / Pierre Teyssot)

President Macron in September 2023 in an interview that was broadcast live on YouTube and Tiktok. (© picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP / Pierre Teyssot) The concentration of media in the hands of rich entrepreneurs such as Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury goods giant LVMH, the Bolloré family and Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský has advanced significantly. Protest actions by editorial teams have repeatedly highlighted how much influence media owners sometimes exert on their publications. In March 2023, journalists working for the business newspaper Les Echos refused to sign their names to their articles for 24 hours in protest at Bernard Arnault's dismissal of Nicolas Barré as editor-in-chief and in June of the same year they reaffirmed their demand for better protection of editorial independence by going on strike – with the result that the 2 June edition was cancelled. The Sunday paper Le Journal du Dimanche didn't appear for six weeks shortly after it was taken over by the Bolloré family's Vivendi group (which also owns a number of TV channels and magazines) because the editorial team went on strike in protest at the appointment of far-right supporter Geoffroy Lejeune as the paper's new editor-in-chief. This strike ultimately failed to achieve its objective, but in 2019 the employees of Le Monde secured a right of veto over who becomes a major shareholder in the publication, and in the same year the online paper Mediapart transferred its capital to a non-profit fund and stipulated that it could not be sold on.

Lejeune's appointment is seen as showcasing the French media landscape's gradual shift to the right. Not only are existing titles and broadcasters acquiring a more right-wing bias, but new outlets such as the sovereigntist website Front Populaire or the identitarian monthly magazine L'Incorrect are joining the ranks of conservative to right-wing media.

Intimidation by the authorities
Physical attacks, harassment by police and protesters at demonstrations, and intimidation on the part of the security agencies are also hampering journalistic work. In response to the latter there have been renewed calls for the protection of sources to be strengthened. The États généraux de l'information, an expert body which includes representatives from academia and the NGO Reporters Without Borders, was set up in October 2023 to find solutions to these and other challenges, including the regulation of artificial intelligence.

A proud history and highly diverse
Yet press freedom has a long tradition in France: the world's first newspaper titled "Relation" was printed in the seventeenth century in Strasbourg, and during the French Revolution the number of newspapers ballooned to around a thousand. In 1881, press freedom was enshrined in the French constitution, and France is also home to the world's first news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP), founded in 1835.

Television plays a central role in public debate – in particular the 8 p.m. news programmes broadcast by the private channel TF1 and the public service channel France 2. When French presidents want to address the nation, they have traditionally done so on France 2. France is among the countries with the largest number of radio stations in the world – around 900 at present. The public service broadcaster Radio France offers news as well as cultural and regional programmes. However, President Emmanuel Macron has also started using new media formats such as YouTube and TikTok to reach the younger generations.

France's print media segment is highly diverse. The most widely-read national newspapers are Le Parisien, Le Figaro and Le Monde, but certain regional newspapers such as Ouest-France reach even more readers. Although many newspapers are struggling with a declining circulation, two successful new newspapers, La Tribune Dimanche and Franc-Tireur, have been launched in recent years. Many of these titles offer plenty of space for the exchange of opinions. French newspapers are also increasingly eager to attract readers from outside France. The Catholic newspaper La Croix and Le Monde both offer an English-language online version, and La Croix also offers content in Spanish.

World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders):
Rank 24 (2023) Media search Media from France at euro|topics

Alternatives Economiques

Alternatives Economiques (Monthly magazine) Political orientation: Left-wingCirculation: 59,000 (2022)Visits: 500.000 – 1.000.000

Blog L'Hérétique

Blog L'Hérétique (Blog) Political orientation: Liberal-conservativeVisits: < 500.000

Boulevard Voltaire

Boulevard Voltaire (Website) Political orientation: Right-wingVisits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Charlie Hebdo

Charlie Hebdo (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: Centre-leftCirculation: 55,000 (2020)Visits: 500.000 – 1.000.000

Contrepoints

Contrepoints (Website) Political orientation: LiberalVisits: 500.000 – 1.000.000

Courrier International

Courrier International (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: LiberalCirculation: 159,000 (2022)Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (Daily newspaper) Circulation: 117,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

La Croix

La Croix (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: CatholicCirculation: 89,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

La Provence

La Provence (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: ConservativeCirculation: 69,000 (2022)Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

La Tribune

La Tribune (Website) Political orientation: LiberalVisits: 5.000.000 – 10.000.000

Le Canard Enchainé

Le Canard Enchainé (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: Critical of the governmentCirculation: 280,000 (2021)

Le Figaro

Le Figaro (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: Liberal-conservativeCirculation: 357,000 (2022)Visits: 150.000.000 – 200.000.000

Le Journal du Dimanche

Le Journal du Dimanche (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: Right-wingCirculation: 129,000 (2022)Visits: 5.000.000 – 10.000.000

Le Monde

Le Monde (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: Centre-leftCirculation: 489,000 (2022)Visits: > 200.000.000

Le Monde Diplomatique

Le Monde Diplomatique (Monthly magazine) Political orientation: Left-wingCirculation: 170,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Le Point

Le Point (Magazine) Political orientation: Liberal-conservativeCirculation: 289,000 (2022)Visits: 20.000.000 – 30.000.000

L'Equipe

L'Equipe (Daily newspaper) Circulation: 217,000 (2022)Visits: > 200.000.000

Les Echos

Les Echos (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: LiberalCirculation: 140,000 (2022)Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

L'Express

L'Express (Magazine) Political orientation: LiberalCirculation: 204,000 (2022)Visits: 5.000.000 – 10.000.000

L'Humanité

L'Humanité (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: Far leftCirculation: 36,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Libération

Libération (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: Centre-leftCirculation: 101,000 (2022)Visits: 20.000.000 – 30.000.000

L'Obs

L'Obs (Magazine) Political orientation: Left-wingCirculation: 205,000 (2022)Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

L'Opinion

L'Opinion (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: LiberalCirculation: 42,000 (2023)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Marianne

Marianne (Magazine) Political orientation: Left-wingCirculation: 132,000 (2022)Visits: 5.000.000 – 10.000.000

Mediapart

Mediapart (Website) Political orientation: Left-wingVisits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

Ouest-France

Ouest-France (Daily newspaper) Political orientation: LiberalCirculation: 637,000 (2022)Visits: 150.000.000 – 200.000.000

Slate

Slate (Website) Political orientation: Liberal-conservativeVisits: 5.000.000 – 10.000.000

Sud Ouest

Sud Ouest (Daily newspaper) Circulation: 200,000 (2022)Visits: 50.000.000 – 100.000.000

Rue89

Rue89 (Website) Political orientation: Centre-leftCirculation: 1,9 Millionen Visits pro MonatVisits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Politis

Politis (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: Left-wingCirculation: 15,000 (2023)Visits: < 500.000

RussEurope

RussEurope (Blog) Political orientation: nationalistischVisits: < 500.000

Causeur

Causeur (Website) Circulation: 8,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Le Parisien

Le Parisien (Daily newspaper) Circulation: 188,000 (2022)Visits: 50.000.000 – 100.000.000

Le Drenche

Le Drenche (Website) Circulation: 60,000 (2018)Visits: < 500.000

Le HuffPost

Le HuffPost (Website) Political orientation: Centre-leftVisits: 30.000.000 – 40.000.000

Telos

Telos (Website) Visits: < 500.000

Orient XXI

Orient XXI (Website) Visits: < 500.000

France Inter

France Inter (Website) Political orientation: Centre-leftVisits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

Atlantico

Atlantico (Website) Political orientation: Liberal-conservativeVisits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

Les Crises

Les Crises (Website) Political orientation: Critical of the government

Jeune Afrique

Jeune Afrique (Website) Circulation: 42,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

RTL

RTL (Website) Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

Valeurs actuelles

Valeurs actuelles (Weekly newspaper) Political orientation: Right-wingCirculation: 106,000 (2022)Visits: 1.000.000 - 5.000.000

The Conversation

The Conversation (Website) Visits: 10.000.000 – 20.000.000

So Foot

So Foot (Monthly magazine) Circulation: 46,000 (2022)Visits: 20.000.000 – 30.000.000

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France: the struggle for an independent press cont