Before studying the current economic and media landscape of France, it is important to discuss it’s media history. With it’s storied past, France has been home to many “firsts” in news, including:
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First news agency, Agence France Presse (AFP) 1835
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Founded by Charles Louis Havas, this Paris-based agency still stands today
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First mass circulation paper, Le Petit Journal, 1863
Le Petit Journal, which circulated for 81 years, featured rich illustrations to depict French news.
While common knowledge of the French Revolution often comes from renditions of Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, French citizens obtained their news from the 100s of newspapers put into place during the war.
After traditional print media, radio was popular with the French. After Gugliermo Marconi first established a connection with England and France in 1899, Radio PTT took off in Paris in 1923. Radio Tour Eiffel broadcast news for the first time in 1925. Radio continued to be popular throughout the second World War, when several private stations cropped up throughout France in opposition to the Nazi party.
Today, BBC reports that France has a free press system, meaning that it works independently of government control. There are more than 100 daily newspapers and radio is still a popular form of media news. France also produces several television networks that are available globally.
BBC also provides readers with lists of the most popular newspapers in modern France, which include:
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Le Monde
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Liberation
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Le Figaro
As for radio, France has several popular stations:
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Radio France
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Radio France Internationale
Popular French television stations are:
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TFI
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M6
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France 24
With more information about the past and current media systems in France, it will be easier to understand the current economic climate in regards to French media structure.
For more information about French media, visit the following links:
http://www.ambafrance-bw.org/Media-in-France
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/998481.stm#media