Newspapers in France

France has a very wide variety of newspapers and magazines. Regional newspapers are often given greater prominence in France than is the case in the UK. The principal national French newspapers are:

• Le Figaro - right-wing, conservative, but a good general read.
• Le Monde - independent, centre-left, regarded as 'the intellectual's newspaper' for both the right wing and the left wing. Takes some getting used to, but worth the effort.
• Libération - young, centre-left and trendy. Good arts coverage.
• Le Parisien & France-Soir - sensational headlines, most akin to the English tabloids but much softer.
• Le Canard Enchainé - the scourge of the political establishment, satirical but serious. A bit heavy going until you get into French politics.
• Les Echoes and La Tribune are the business newspapers (equivalent to the Financial Times); L'Equipe is the popular sports newspaper; La Croix is run by the French Catholic church. Magazines such as L'Evenement, Mariunne, Le Point, L'Express, and Le Nouvel Observateur offer good broad-ranging weekly news coverage from a variety of political perspectives.

The foreign press is widely available every day in France, but at a more elevated cost. One way to save money is to take out a subscription to your favourite newspaper, which often leads to considerable savings. Telephone the newspaper of your choice before leaving to ask about subscriptions if you will be in France for some time. All major newspapers are available on the Internet.