Compiled with the help of Alice Antheaume, Executive Director, Sciences Po Journalism School.

The news media in France is characterised by strong commercial and public broadcasters and a relatively weak press that struggles to reach mass audiences in print or online. Trust in the media is amongst the lowest in Europe.

Top Brands

Changing Media

TV news reach continues to decline even if people still turn to this medium during moments of national crisis. The Yellow Vests protests boosted use of social media for news in 2019 before falling back. French people are now more likely to access news from a smartphone than a computer.

Trust

Trust in news in France is amongst the lowest (23%) in Europe – partly affected by the divisions that emerged around the Yellow Vests protests and the media’s coverage of it. While public media such as France Télévisions and France Info are most trusted, popular 24-hour channel BFM has by far the highest levels of distrust (34%).