Compared to other European nations, the French are not avid newspaper readers, citing only 164 adults out of every 1000 as newspaper readers.
The French press was healthiest in the aftermath of World War II. A year after the end of the war, 28 papers had a combined circulation of about 7 million. However, seven years later that figure had been nearly halved. This decline was principally due to the greater popularity of the broadcast media and the subsequent diversion of advertising revenues. Since 2000 newly produced free papers have further weakened the established press. Still, 80 daily papers remain, and there is a wide range of weeklies, many of which now feature internet sites.
Regional papers have remained relatively unaffected by the decline, with provincial newspapers commanding a higher degree of reader loyalty. For example, Ouest-France, sells almost twice as many copies as any of the national dailies.
See main article: Books in France.
See main article: History of French journalism and List of French newspapers. In the early 21st century, the best-selling daily was the regional Ouest-France in 47 local editions, followed by Le Progres of Lyon, La Voix du Nord in Lille, and Provençal in Marseille. In Paris the Communists published l'Humanite while Le Monde and Figaro had local rivals in Le Parisien, L'Aurore and the leftist Libération.
Below are the circulation figures of France's national daily newspapers from the Alliance pour les chiffres de la presse et des médias
(updated: 30/03/2021)
| Title | 2020[1] |
|---|---|
| Le Monde | 393,109 |
| Le Figaro | 331,927 |
| Le Parisien/Aujourd’hui en France | 264,952 |
| L'Équipe | 217,068 |
| Les Échos | 133,429 |
| La Croix | 86,440 |
| Libération | 76,522 |
| L'Humanité | 37,611 |
| Title | Reader circulation (2020)[2] | Publisher | Region of circulation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Parisien | 180,854 | Amaury | Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d\'Oise, Essonne, Yvelines, Seine-et-Marne, Oise | |
| La Montagne | 137,245 | Centre-France | Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Allier, Haute-Loire, Creuse, Corrèze, Haute-Vienne | |
| La République du Centre | 25,381 | Centre-France | Loiret, Eure-et-Loir | |
| L'Yonne Républicaine | 22,038 | Centre-France | Yonne | |
| Le Populaire du Centre | 27,098 | Centre-France | Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Creuse | |
| L'Écho républicain | Centre-France | Eure-et-Loir, Yvelines | ||
| Le Berry républicain | 24,906 | Centre-France | Cher, Indre | |
| Le Journal du Centre | 19,771 | Centre-France | Nièvre | |
| Le Dauphiné libéré | 173,617 | EBRA | Drôme, Ardèche, Hautes-Alpes, Isère, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Vaucluse | |
| Le Progrès | 151,697 | EBRA | Loire, Rhône, Ain, Jura, Haute-Loire, Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d'Or | |
| L'Est républicain | 107,578 | EBRA | Doubs, Haute-Saône, Territoire-de-Belfort, Vosges, Meuse, Meurthe-et-Moselle | |
| Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace | 126,031 | EBRA | Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin | |
| L'Alsace-Le Pays | EBRA | Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin | ||
| Le Journal de Saône-et-Loire | 44,795 | EBRA | Saône-et-Loire | |
| Le Bien public | 33,873 | EBRA | Côte-d'Or, Yonne | |
| Vosges-Matin | 30,661 | EBRA | Vosges | |
| Le Journal de la Haute-Marne | 18,420 | EBRA | Haute-Marne | |
| La Provence | 79,583 | Hersant Média | Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | |
| L'Union | 71,539 | Hersant Média | Marne, Aisne, Ardennes | |
| Nice-Matin | 60,744 | Hersant Média | Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud | |
| Paris-Normandie | 38,252 | Hersant Média | Seine-Maritime, Eure, Yvelines | |
| Var-matin | 42,976 | Hersant Média | Var | |
| Corse-Matin | 26,066 | Hersant Média | Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud | |
| L'Est-Éclair | 21,718 | Hersant Média | Aube | |
| La Dépêche du Midi | 120,807 | la Dépêche | Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Ariège, Aveyron, Aude, Lot-et-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées | |
| La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées | 8,961 | la Dépêche | Hautes-Pyrénées | |
| La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest | NRCO | Indre, Cher, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher | ||
| La Voix du Nord | 196,531 | Rossel | Pas-de-Calais, Nord | |
| Le Courrier picard | 45,323 | Rossel | Somme, Oise, Aisne | |
| Nord éclair | Rossel | Nord | ||
| Ouest-France | 625,896 | SIPA - Ouest-France | Calvados, Orne, Manche, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan, Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Mayenne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Paris | |
| Le Courrier de l'Ouest | 76,870 | SIPA - Ouest-France | Maine-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres | |
| Le Maine libre | 34,804 | SIPA - Ouest-France | Sarthe | |
| La Presse de la Manche | SIPA - Ouest-France | Manche | ||
| Presse-Océan | 22,637 | SIPA - Ouest-France | Loire-Atlantique | |
| Sud Ouest | 211,197 | Sud Ouest | Charente, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Gers | |
| Midi Libre | 87,001 | Sud Ouest | Hérault, Lozère, Gard, Aude, Pyrénées-Orientales, Aveyron | |
| L'Indépendant | 41,386 | Sud Ouest | Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude | |
| Charente libre | 27,972 | Sud Ouest | Charente | |
| La République des Pyrénées | 26,115 | Sud Ouest | Pyrénées-Atlantiques | |
| Centre Presse | 16,268 | Sud Ouest | Aveyron | |
| Le Télégramme (de Brest) | 177,880 | Télégramme | Finistère, Côtes d'Armor, Morbihan | |
| L'Écho du Centre | Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Creuse, Dordogne avec L'Écho Dordogne, Indre avec la Marseillaise du Berry | |||
| L'Éveil de la Haute-Loire | 9,076 | Haute-Loire | ||
| Le Républicain lorrain | 86,002 | Moselle, Nord de la Meurthe-et-Moselle | ||
| La Marseillaise | Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Var, Vaucluse |
See also: List of television stations in France.
The list below does not include Cable and Satellite television channels.
See main article: List of radio stations in France.
