The periodical scene is very lively in France. With 1,354 copies sold for every 1,000 inhabitants, France has the highest rate of magazine readership in the world.
News Weeklies
France’s major general news weeklies are Paris-Match, L’Express, Le Point, Le Nouvel Observateur, VSD, L’Evénement du Jeudi . The price of these periodicals ranges from 14 to 30 francs ($2.50 to $5.40).
An interesting concept, the Courrier international founded in 1990, publishes articles collected in the press worldwide and translated in French (100,000 copies per week).
A satirical weekly, Le Canard Enchaîné, founded in 1916, maintains its independence by refusing any advertising. It sells for 8 francs ($1.45) and criticizes abuses of power using caricatures and puns (550,000 copies per week.
Economic Magazines
Between 1979 and 1991 the economic press jumped from seven to 17 titles, most of them doing very well. The major ones are: Investir Magazine (166,115 copies), Capital (365,000copies), Le Revenu français (205,250 copies), Mieux vivre votre argent (192,000 copies) and Valeurs Actuelles (98,000 copies).
Radio and television weeklies
They are among the French magazines with the largest circulation (over 11 million copies in 1995) : Télé 7 Jours sells three million copies, Télé Star, Télé-Loisirs and Télé Z 6 million.
Women’s weeklies
The women’s press has a long history in France; today it is flourishing and is often distributed abroad, where it contributes to propagating the traditional image of France (fashion, beauty, the art of living). Magazines such as Femme actuelle (circulation 1,900,000), Prima (circulation 1,200,000), Modes et Travaux (867,262), Madame Figaro (547,000) and Marie-Claire (560,782) rank among the 28 French titles whose circulation exceeds 500,000. The most prestigious and most influential of the women’s magazines is probably Elle. Founded in 1945, Elle has managed to keep pace with changing ways of life and with women’s issues both in France and abroad while accenting fashion and style. Its 347,703 copies are sold on the newsstand for 13 francs ($2.40); in addition to the French there are English, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic and Chinese editions.
Miscellaneous weeklies
Almost every fashion, trend, sport, culture, art, and way of life has its own publication in France: there are over 15 magazines are devoted to the automobile, six to motorcycles, nine to photography or the cinema, 20 to food, tourism and travel, seven to science, six to music, 16 to computers, 32 to a wide variety of sports, 11 to literature, history and art, 23 to homes and gardens, 11 to hunting and fishing – the list could go on indefinitely.
LINKS
News
Paris Match
Business
L’Expansion
Investir
Le Revenue
Women
Elle
TV Guide
Tele 7Jours
Sports
Onze Mondail
Photography
Photo