FOR RELEASE MARCH 5, 2019

BY Nami Sumida, Mason Walker and Amy Mitchell

FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:

Amy Mitchell, Director, Journalism Research

Katerina Eva Matsa, Associate Director, Journalism Research
Hannah Klein, Communications Associate
202.419.4372
[Link]

RECOMMENDED CITATION
Pew Research Center, March, 2019,
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

France’s news media habits and political dynamics stand apart from those of other Western
European countries in a number of ways, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.

In nationally representative surveys in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain,
Sweden and the United Kingdom, France stands out for its broad discontent toward the news
media. About three-in-ten (28%) say the news media’s role is very important, which is the lowest
among the eight countries surveyed. Trust in the news media is also low, with just 4% of French
adults saying they have a lot of trust in the news media. Discontent is especially present among
people who hold populist anti-elitist views, along with the younger and more educated.

France is also unique in the relative fragmentation of its news landscape. No more than one-in-five
name the same top source for news, and there are substantial divides between those on the
ideological left and right over which news outlets they use and which they trust.

Finally, as with all countries studied here, public attitudes toward the news media in France are
more divided along populist anti-elitist views than along left-right ideology. However, there are
larger differences in the fragmentation of main news sources along left-right ideology than along
these populist views. (See Chapter 1 for more on measuring populist anti-elitist views.)

These are some findings that build on a previously released report of news media attitudes. The
findings come from a Pew Research Center survey about news media use and attitudes across eight
Western European countries conducted from Oct. 30 to Dec. 20, 2017.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

1. Views of the news media in France

People’s trust in and views about the importance of the news media vary considerably by country.
In general, people in Northern European countries – for example, Sweden and Germany – are
more likely than people in Southern European countries, including France, to say the news media
are very important and that they trust the news media.

Across the eight European

countries studied, three- About a quarter in France say news media are very
quarters or more say the news important – the lowest of the eight countries studied
media are at least somewhat % of adults in each country who say the news media are very/somewhat
important to the functioning of the country’s society
important to the functioning
of the country’s society. But Very Somewhat Total
the share that says the news important important important

media’s role is very important Sweden 61% 34% 95%

varies significantly. Germany 61 29 90

Spain 59 29 88
In France, about a quarter of
adults (28%) consider the Netherlands 43 45 88
news media very important to
UK 43 38 81
society – the lowest of the
eight countries surveyed. Denmark 42 43 85

Another 48% say the news Italy 34 41 75

media are somewhat
France 28 48 76
important to society, for a total
of 76% who say the news
media are at least somewhat
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
important. “News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Trust in the news media is

lower across Western Europe France is among the countries with the lowest levels
than people’s sense of the news of trust in the news media
media’s importance. France % of adults in each country who trust the news media a lot/somewhat
has one of the lowest levels of Total
A lot Somewhat trust
trust of the countries surveyed.
About a third of French adults Germany 20% 44% 64%
(35%) say they trust the news Netherlands 18 49 67
media at least somewhat, but
only 4% say they have a lot of Sweden 12 52 64

trust. This is similar to trust Denmark 10 37 47

levels in the UK and in other
UK 5 27 32
Southern European countries
surveyed; trust levels are Spain 5 26 31
substantially higher in the
France
France 4 31 35
Northern European countries.
Italy 3 26 29

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

French adults also express lower levels of trust than most other Western Europeans in two other
institutions asked about: the national parliament and financial institutions. About four-in-ten or
fewer say they trust either institution at least somewhat (33% and 39%, respectively). In contrast,
a large majority (84%) say they trust the military at least somewhat.

France and other Southern European countries are less trusting of most institutions
% of adults in each country who trust each institution a lot/somewhat
Banks & financial
The news media institutions Parliament The military
Netherlands 67% 65% 68% 71%

Sweden 64 62 71 77

Germany 64 52 55 70

Denmark 47 56 50 74

France 35 39 33 84

UK 32 54 36 82

Spain 31 18 16 66

Italy 29 29 16 82

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

The French give the news media fairly high ratings on several core functions, but still at levels
lower than those in Northern European countries. Among five functions asked about, French
adults give the news media lowest marks for being politically neutral in their news coverage, with
roughly four-in-ten (43%) saying the news media are doing a somewhat or very good job at this.
Far more (73%) say the news media do a good job covering the important stories of the day.

French evaluation of news media’s key functions lower than other countries studied
% of adults in each country who say the news media do a very/somewhat good job at …
Covering all Investigating Providing coverage Being politically
Getting the
important stories the actions independent of neutral in thier
facts right
of the day of the govt. corporate influence news coverage

Sweden 85% 73% 70% 63% 59%

Netherlands 82 70 72 68 62
Germany 81 52 59 52 54
Italy 77 42 55 47 36
Denmark 76 69 62 60 53
France 73 51 60 47 43
Spain 71 56 55 52 45
UK 68 51 48 46 37

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

The survey also asked respondents to assess the news media’s coverage of three specific topics –
the economy, crime and immigration.

About two-thirds of French

adults (66%) say the news
Majority of French adults give the news media high
media do a somewhat or very
marks on coverage of several important topics
good job covering the
% of adults in each country who say the news media do a very/somewhat
economy and crime, while a good job covering each topic
smaller portion (54%) say this
Economy Crime Immigration
about immigration coverage.
Sweden 83% 74% 67%

The French give the news Netherlands 83 82 65

media overall higher marks Denmark 80 79 64

compared with other Southern Germany 79 54 49
European countries, but still France 66 66 54
lower compared with northern UK 65 70 44
countries. Across all eight
Spain 61 65 52
countries, immigration
Italy 57 70 52
coverage received the lowest
rating.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

In most of the countries surveyed, people who hold populist anti-elitist views are less likely than
those who don’t hold these views to value and trust the news media. And the differences between
these groups are larger than when comparing people on the left and right of the ideological
spectrum.

Measuring populist anti-elitist views

Academic studies of populism consistently identify a few key ideas as underlying the concept: The people’s will is
the main source of government legitimacy; “the people” and “the elite” are two homogenous and antagonistic
groups; and “the people” are good, while “the elite” are corrupt (Stanley, 2011; Akkerman, Mudde, & Zaslove,
2014; Schulz et al., 2017).

The populism measure used throughout this report is based on combining respondents’ answers to two
questions: 1) “Ordinary people would do a better job/do no better solving the country’s problems than elected
officials,” and 2) “Most elected officials care/don’t care what people like me think.” Both measures are meant to
capture the core ideas that the government should reflect the will of “the people” and that “elites” are an
antagonistic group that is out of touch with the demands of “the people.” The second measure is a traditional
question asked regularly over time on political surveys to measure efficacy and dissatisfaction with government
responsiveness. This measure, or ones that are similar, are used by scholars studying populism to capture
attitudes about an antagonistic relationship between elites and the people (Stanley, 2011; Spruyt et al., 2016;
Schulz et al., 2017).

Those who answered that elected officials don’t care about people like them and who said ordinary people would
do a better job solving the country’s problems than elected officials were considered to hold populist anti-elitist
views. People who say the reverse – that elected officials care and that ordinary people would do no better – are
considered to not hold populist anti-elitist views. Everyone else, including people who refuse to answer one or
both questions, is considered to hold mixed views. In France, 40% of adults hold these populist anti-elitist views,
16% do not hold these views, and the remaining 44% hold mixed views.

For more information on this measure, see the Methodology and References of the report “In Western Europe,
Public Attitudes Toward News Media More Divided by Populist Views Than Left-Right Ideology,” which uses the
same measure, though phrased as “populist views.”

In France, 22% of people with populist anti-elitist views say the news media are very important to
society, compared with 42% of those without these views. Regarding trust, 26% of people with
these views say they trust the news media at least somewhat, compared with 47% of those without
these views.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

The sense of media importance in France is also divided by left-right ideology; 39% of those on the
left say the news media are very important, compared with 23% of those on the right. There are no
differences, however, in trust in the news media between people on the left and right.

In France, trust in the news media differs more by populist anti-elitist views than
left-right ideology
% of French adults who say …

Note: Respondents are classified as holding populist anti-elitist views if they answered: “Most elected officials don’t care what people like me
think” and “Ordinary people would do a better job solving the country’s problems than elected officials.” This does not cover all components of
populism but focuses on a few key ideas that academic studies of populism consistently identify as underlying the concept – that government
should reflect the will of “the people” and that “elites” are an antagonistic group that is out of touch with the demands of “the people.”
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

There are differences in news

media trust based on political French adults who view National Front favorably are
party support, but not nearly less likely overall to value and trust the news media
at the levels seen around Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who say …
populist anti-elitist views.
The news media are They trust the news
French adults with a favorable very important to society media a lot/somewhat
view of the National Front, for Socialist Party 37% 41%
example, stand out as the least La France
34 37
likely to trust the news media. Insoumise
Among them, a third say they En Marche 32 40
trust the news media at least
Republicans 30 39
somewhat, while about four-
in-ten who favor one of the National Front 20 33
other four parties studied say Note: Only some parties are shown because the report focuses on traditional parties that
the same. have led government over the past 25 years and on populist parties.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
Similarly, two-in-ten adults PEW RESEARCH CENTER
with a favorable view of the
National Front say the news
media are very important to society, compared with three-in-ten or more of those who have
favorable views of other parties.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

People who hold populist anti-elitist views are less likely to give high ratings on five core functions
of the news media. For example, there is a 26-percentage-point difference between those with
these populist anti-elitist views and those without on whether the news media are doing a good job
at investigating the actions of the government, and a 22-point gap on whether news organizations
are politically neutral in how they present the news.

Similarly, those who hold populist anti-elitist views tend to be less satisfied with the news media’s
coverage of three topics – by about 20 percentage points or more for each. The largest gap is in the
state of the economy: 58% of those who hold populist anti-elitist views say the news media do a
somewhat or very good job in its coverage, versus 84% of those who don’t hold these views.

Ratings of news media performance differ by populist anti-elitist views in France

Among French adults who ___, % who say the news media are doing a very/somewhat good job at …
Do not hold DO NOT HOLD–
Hold populist Hold mixed populist anti- HOLD POPULIST
anti-elitist views views elitist views VIEWS DIFF
Investigating the actions of the government 41% 53% 67% +26
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 36 43 58 +22
Providing coverage independent of corporate
influence 41 49 58 +17
Covering all important stories of the day 66 75 81 +15
Getting the facts right 57 61 67 +10

Among French adults who ___, % who say the news media do a very/somewhat good job covering …
The economy 58 67 84 +26
Immigration 46 55 68 +22
Crime 59 68 80 +21
Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold. Respondents are classified as holding populist anti-elitist views if they answered: “Most
elected officials don’t care what people like me think” and “Ordinary people would do a better job solving the country’s problems than
elected officials.” This does not cover all components of populism but focuses on a few key ideas that academic studies of populism
consistently identify as underlying the concept – that government should reflect the will of “the people” and that “elites” are an antagonistic
group that is out of touch with the demands of “the people.”
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Left-right differences also emerge on these questions, though the differences are not as
pronounced as those based along populist anti-elitist views. Overall, French adults on the right are
more likely than those on the left to be satisfied with the news media’s performance. For instance,
77% of those on the right say the news media do a somewhat or very good job covering all
important stories of the day, while 65% of adults on the left say the same.

Similarly, those on the right are more likely to say the news media do a somewhat or very good job
covering immigration and crime – by 9 points and 7 points, respectively. Coverage of the economy,
on the other hand, is not significantly divided by left-right ideology.

French adults on the right rate the news media performance more positively than
those on the left
% of French adults in each ideological group who say the news media are doing a very/somewhat good job at …
RIGHT–LEFT
Left Center Right
DIFF
Covering all important stories of the day 65% 76% 77% +12
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 38 44 47 +9
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 43 48 52 +9
Investigating the actions of the government 48 54 53 +5
Getting the facts right 59 61 60 +1

% of French adults in each ideological group who say the news media do a very/somewhat good job covering …
Immigration 46 56 55 +9
Crime 63 69 70 +7
The economy 62 68 68 +6

Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold.

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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When it comes to party support, those who have a favorable view of either of the two populist
parties, the National Front and La France Insoumise, generally give lower ratings of news media
performance than those who have favorable views of other parties. For instance, at least half of
those in favor of the Socialist Party (54%), Republicans (52%) and En Marche (52%) say the news
media do a somewhat or very good job being politically neutral in their coverage, while about four-
in-ten adults with a favorable view of La France Insoumise (41%) and the National Front (39%)
say the same.

Divides between French adults with favorable views of populist and of nonpopulist
parties in job evaluation of the news media
Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who say the news media are doing a
very/somewhat good job at …
Socialist National La France
Republicans Party En Marche Front Insoumise
Covering all important stories of the day 82% 77% 82% 73% 73%
Getting the facts right 67 70 65 63 66
Investigating the actions of the government 59 61 63 46 52
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 58 55 58 50 46
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 52 54 52 39 41

Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who say the news media do a very/somewhat good
job covering …
The economy 75 75 78 61 65
Crime 73 73 73 70 69
Immigration 63 60 61 58 53
Note: Only some parties are shown because the report focuses on traditional parties that have led government over the past 25 years and on
populist parties.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Heavy social media news consumers – those who get news on social media at least daily – are
generally more negative toward the news media’s performance than those who get news on social
media less often or those who do not use social media for news.

For each of the three topic areas asked about, coverage ratings are 8 percentage points lower
among these heavy social media news consumers than among those who do not use social media
as often or ever for news. And when it comes to the five core functions, those who often get news
on social media again give lower marks on two measures – being politically neutral in their news
coverage and investigating the actions of the government.

Despite more negative views of the news media’s performance, those who often get news on social
media are more likely to value the news media. Eight-in-ten heavy social media news consumers
say the news media’s role is somewhat or very important, compared with 74% of those who get
social media news less often or never.

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Heavy social media news consumers are more negative toward the news media’s
performance in France
Among French adults who get news on social media at each rate, % who …
AT LEAST
Less often or DAILY–LESS
At least daily never OFTEN DIFF
Think the news media are very/somewhat important to society 80% 74% +6
Trust the news media a lot/somewhat 33 35 –2

Among French adults who get news on social media at each rate, % who say the news media are doing a
very/somewhat good job at …
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 35 46 –11
Investigating the actions of the government 46 53 –7
Getting the facts right 56 62 –6
Covering all important stories of the day 70 74 –4
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 45 48 –3

Among French adults who get news on social media at each rate, % who say the news media do a very/somewhat
good job covering …
The economy 61 69 –8
Crime 61 69 –8
Immigration 48 56 –8

Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold.

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Younger adults are more likely than older adults to think the news media are important to society,
but they also give them lower ratings on performance measures. For instance, 77% of adults ages
50 and older say the news media do a somewhat or very good job of covering all important stories
of the day, while 66% of adults ages 18 to 29 say the same. The largest gap between the youngest
and oldest groups is in whether the news media are politically neutral in their news coverage – a
16-percentage-point difference. Additionally, younger adults are less likely to give good ratings to
news organizations’ coverage of two of the three topics asked: crime and immigration (by 20
points and 18 points, respectively).

In France, younger adults give the news media lower ratings on performance
measures than older adults
Among French adults in each age group, % who …
Ages YOUNGEST–
18-29 30-49 50+ OLDEST DIFF
Think the news media are very important to society 37% 30% 24% +13
Trust the news media a lot/somewhat 37 34 34 +3

Among French adults in each age group, % who say the news media are doing a very/somewhat good job at …
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 32 40 48 –16
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 39 44 52 –13
Covering all important stories of the day 66 69 77 –11
Getting the facts right 57 55 65 –8
Investigating the actions of the government 48 47 54 –6

Among French adults in each age group, % who say the news media do a very/somewhat good job covering …
Crime 53 64 73 –20
Immigration 41 51 59 –18
The economy 66 61 71 –5

Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold.

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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There is a similar narrative when looking at differences by education. Overall, French adults with
high levels of education are more likely than those with lower levels to say the news media are
important to society, but less likely to think news organizations are doing a good job.

Roughly eight-in-ten adults with more than a secondary education (82%) say the news media are
very or somewhat important to the functioning of society, compared with about three-quarters of
adults with a secondary education or less (73%). The more educated, however, are less likely to say
the news media are doing a very or somewhat good job in four out of the five core functions, and
they are similarly less approving of the news coverage of two topics – crime and immigration.1

More educated adults more likely than those with lower levels to say news media
are important, less likely to be satisfied with news organizations’ performance
% of French adults at each education level who …
MORE–LESS
More than EDUCATION
Secondary or less secondary DIFF
Think the news media are very/somewhat important to society 73% 82% +9
Trust the news media a lot/somewhat 34 35 +1

% of French adults at each education level who say the news media are doing a very/somewhat good job at …
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 51 37 –14
Getting the facts right 64 52 –12
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 46 35 –11
Covering all important stories of the day 75 66 –9
Investigating the actions of the government 52 48 –4

% of French adults at each education level who say the news media do a very/somewhat good job covering …
Crime 70 57 –13
Immigration 56 45 –11
The economy 66 67 +1

Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold.

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

1 For more demographic breakdowns, see Appendix A.

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2. Platforms used for news

Among four platforms asked about – TV, radio, online and print – TV is often the most popular for
news: Six-in-ten adults or more in each country studied (including as many as 81%) get news there at
least daily.

France similarly has a large portion of adults (71%) who get news daily from TV. Radio is the second
most popular news platform used daily (53%). Online news use is comparatively low in France: About
half (47%) get news daily from online sources, compared with about six-in-ten or more in most other
Western European countries. Print media is the least popular platform, with about a quarter of French
adults (23%) reading print news sources daily.

TV ranks first for getting news daily in France

% of adults in each country who get news at least daily from ...

TV Online Radio Print

Italy 81% 67% 46% 31%

Spain 81 59 46 26

France 71 47 53 23

Netherlands 70 60 54 32

Germany 70 54 67 43

Denmark 66 68 56 28

Sweden 65 70 61 46

UK 60 55 48 20

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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While TV is most popular, many Western Europeans use multiple platforms every day to get news.
In the eight countries surveyed, majorities use at least two of the four platforms daily. And in some
countries, about half get news this frequently on three or four.

French adults are less likely

than adults in most other Fewer French adults turn to multiple platforms daily,
countries surveyed to regularly compared with most other European adults
use multiple platforms for % of adults in each country who get news at least daily from ___ of the four
news. While a majority of platforms

French adults get news daily

Three or four Two One None
from at least two platforms
Sweden 50% 30% 17% 3%
(67%), three-in-ten regularly
use three or four platforms, Germany 47 31 16 6
which is lower than most of
Denmark 41 32 21 5
the other countries surveyed.
Italy 40 38 18 3

A quarter of French adults get Netherlands 40 34 19 7

news daily from just one
Spain 36 38 21 6
platform. This group of single-
platform news consumers is France 30 37 25 9
primarily made up of people
UK 28 35 26 11
who get news at least daily
from TV (52%), while some
use online sources (25%) and Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
the radio (21%) and very few
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
get news only from print
sources.

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Overall, younger adults in France are more likely to get their news online than from other legacy
platforms like TV, newspapers or radio. In contrast, older adults are more likely to get their news
through non-digital platforms.

Around six-in-ten of those

ages 18 to 29 (63%) get news Older French adults are more likely than younger
from online sources every day, adults to get news from non-digital sources
compared with 41% of those % of French adults in each age group who get news at least daily from …
ages 50 and older. On the
other hand, nearly nine-in-ten Online TV Radio Print

adults ages 50 and older Ages 18-29 63% 44% 29% 11%
(86%) get news from TV at
30-49 50 62 57 17
least daily, compared with less
than half (44%) of those ages 50+ 41 86 57 32
18 to 29.
% of French adults in each age group who get news at least daily from ___ of
Older adults are also more the four platforms
likely than younger adults to Three
get news daily from more or four Two One Zero

platforms. About a third of 18-29 16% 31% 34% 19%

those 50 and older (36%) get
news at least daily from three 30-49 28 34 28 10

or four platforms, compared

50+ 36 41 19 4
with 28% of adults ages 30 to
49 and 16% of adults ages 18
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
to 29. “News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Differences also emerge based

on education and income. Platforms used regularly for news differ by education
Among those with a secondary and income level in France
education or less, the most % of French adults at each education and income level who get news at least
common source for news is daily from …

TV, with 76% getting news Online TV Radio Print

Education
there at least daily. In
Secondary or
43% 76% 49% 26%
contrast, those with more than less
a secondary education are More than
59 58 60 18
about equally likely to get secondary

news from TV (58%), the radio

Income
(60%) and online sources
Below
(59%). Those with a secondary 42 71 47 23
median
education or less are also more At or above
55 70 59 23
likely than those with high median

education levels to get news % of French adults at each education and income level who get news at
from print sources (26% and least daily from ___ of the four platforms
18%, respectively).
Three or four Two One None
Education
When looking at differences by Secondary or 30% 37% 26% 8%
less
income, French adults with an
More than
income at or above the median secondary 31 36 23 10

are about as likely as those

with a below-median income Income
to get news daily from TV and Below
26 34 30 9
median
print sources. Higher-earning
adults, however, are more At or above 34 39 19 7
median
likely to get news daily from
the radio or online sources. As
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
a result, about a third of adults “News Media Attitudes in France”
earning a higher income (34%) PEW RESEARCH CENTER
get news at least daily from
three or four platforms,
compared with about a quarter of those with an income below the median (26%).

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3. The role of social media in news

Within the online space, many Western
Europeans get news through social media. A third of French adults get news daily
Facebook is by far the most commonly used social from social media
media site for news. % of adults in each country who ___ from social media

Get news at Get news Never get

Compared with other Western European least daily less often news
countries, getting news from social media is less
Italy 50% 14% 35%
common in France. Fewer than half of French
adults (45%) get news from social media sites, Denmark 46 20 33
while 55% never get news there.
Sweden 44 18 37

Spain 43 18 38

UK 38 17 45

Netherlands 37 18 45

France 33 12 55

Germany 26 15 60

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct.

30-Dec. 20, 2017.
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Facebook is the most common social network

used for news across Western Europe, including Facebook is the top social media site
in France. About three-quarters of social media for news in Western Europe, including
news consumers in France (76%) cite Facebook as France
% of social media news consumers in each country who
the social network they get news from most often.
use each social media site most often for news

Facebook is followed distantly by Twitter, which is Facebook Twitter Other

cited by one-in-ten social media news consumers
Denmark 82% 4% 7%
in France as the social media site they use most
often for news. Italy 78 5 10

France 76 10 6
In a separate question that asked individuals to
volunteer the outlet they use as their main source Spain 69 19 6
for news, 4% of French adults name Facebook as
Netherlands 67 10 17
that source, speaking further to its prominence.
UK 66 21 10

Germany 64 8 20

Sweden 63 6 17

Note: “Other” includes social media sites mentioned by 5% or less

of respondents. Don’t know responses not shown.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct.
30-Dec. 20, 2017.
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About half or more social media news consumers in each of the eight countries surveyed say they
are familiar with the sources they see on social media. Still, sizable minorities say they typically do
not pay attention to the sources of news they encounter there.

Among the countries surveyed,

France has the highest share About a third of French adults who get news on social
of social media news media don’t pay attention to the sources of news there
consumers – 35% – who say % of social media news consumers in each country who say most of the news
they do not pay attention to they see on social media comes from news sources they …
the sources of news they see
on social media. About half Do not pay Are not Are familiar
attention to familiar with with
(53%) say they are familiar
with the news sources they France 35% 11% 53%
find on these sites, and only Netherlands 34 9 56
11% say they are unfamiliar
Italy 32 16 51
with them.
UK 29 12 58
Looking deeper into these
Spain 26 8 63
responses, the frequency of
social media news use Germany 25 14 56

connects to the likelihood of Denmark 21 4 72

recognizing familiar sources.
Sweden 16 13 65
Those who get news from
social media at least daily are Note: “Don’t know” responses not shown. Question asked: “In general, does most of the
more likely than those who get news you see on social media come from news sources you are familiar with, sources you
are not familiar with, or do you not pay attention to the sources?”
news from these sites less Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
often to be familiar with the
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news sources they see there.
This is true in all eight
countries, with differences in France among the largest. More than half of daily social media news
consumers in France (58%) say they are familiar with the news sources they encounter there,
compared with 38% of less frequent consumers.

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Most people are exposed to a variety of political views on social media. Across all eight nations
surveyed, solid majorities of social media news consumers say the news they see on social media is
rarely or only sometimes in line with their own political views. France is among the highest, at
83%. Conversely, about one-in-ten social media news consumers in France (11%) say the news
they see on these sites is often in line with their political views.

The “echo chamber” effect is more common when it comes to personal discussions about the news:
About a quarter of French adults (26%) say the views they hear in personal discussions are often in
line with their own.

News on social media less likely to reflect one’s own political views than news in
conversations with friends
Social media Personal discussion
% of social media news consumers in each country who % of adults in each country who say that when talking
say that the news they see on social media is ___ with about the news with friends, they find that their friends’
their own political views views are ___ with their own political views

Often in line Sometimes in line Rarely in line Often in line Sometimes in line Rarely in line

Spain 26% 38% 33% Sweden 51% 31% 10%

Sweden 22 38 23 Spain 38 35 20

Netherlands 17 64 16 Netherlands 37 50 9

Italy 16 47 32 Italy 33 39 21

UK 15 65 17 Germany 33 49 13

Germany 13 54 26 France 26 48 16

Denmark 13 62 17 Denmark 24 59 12

France 11 54 29 UK 23 60 12

Note: Those who don’t discuss news with friends and “Don’t know" responses are not shown.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
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Younger people tend to be more avid social

media news consumers than their elders. This is In France, younger adults are more
especially the case in France. Roughly seven-in- likely to get news from social media
ten 18- to 29-year-olds (69%) get news from Among French adults in each age group, % who get news
social media every day, while 38% of those ages from social media …

30 to 49 and an even smaller portion of those Ages

18-29 30-49 50+
50 and older (17%) do the same – a 52- At least daily 69% 38% 17%
percentage-point gap between the youngest and Less often 14 17 9
oldest age groups. Never 16 46 73

Among French social media news consumers in each age

Younger social media news consumers are also group, % who say most of the news they see on social
more likely to be familiar with the news sources media comes from news sources they …
they see on these sites. Six-in-ten adults ages 18 Are familiar with 60 54 43
to 29 who get news from social media say that Are not familiar with 12 10 11
most of the news they encounter there comes Do not pay attention to 28 34 44

from sources with which they are familiar, Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct.
compared with 43% of those 50 and older. On 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
the other hand, older social media news
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consumers are more likely to say that they do
not pay attention to these news sources. Among
social media news consumers ages 50 and older, 44% say they do not pay attention to news
sources on these sites, while about a quarter of social media news consumers ages 18 to 29 (28%)
say the same.

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The frequency of and attitudes around social

media news use also differ by education. Among French adults with higher education are
French adults with more than a secondary more likely to use social media for news
education, 44% get news at least daily from Among French adults at each education level, % who get
news from social media …
social media, compared with 29% of adults with
a secondary education or less. Secondary More than
education or secondary
less education
At least daily 29% 44%
Among social media news consumers, those
Less often 12 14
with higher levels of education are more likely Never 59 43
than those with lower levels of education to say
that most of the social media news they Among French social media news consumers at each
education level, % who say most of the news they see on
encounter comes from sources that are familiar
social media comes from news sources they …
to them (64% and 46%, respectively). In
Are familiar with 46 64
contrast, those with lower education levels are
Are not familiar with 11 10
more likely to say they do not pay attention to Do not pay attention to 42 24
the news sources on social media (42%) than
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct.
those with more education (24%).
30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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4. Main sources used for news in France

When asked which news source people turn to most
frequently, those most commonly mentioned are TF1 (16%), Top main news sources
BFM (15%) and France Télévisions/France TV (15%). No among the French
other outlet was named by more than 6% of the public. % of French adults who name each outlet
as their main news source

The French tend to be more fragmented in their main news TF1 16%
sources than publics in other parts of Western Europe. Fewer BFM 15
than two-in-ten French adults name the same main news France TV 15
Le Monde 6
source, while at least three-in-ten adults in five of the eight
Radio France 6
countries surveyed share the same main source. For example,
Facebook 4
48% in the UK name BBC, 39% in Sweden name Sveriges
M6 3
Television/Radio (SVT/Radio) and 37% in the Netherlands Google 3
name Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO) as their main
Note: Only sources named by 3% of adults or
source for news. more are shown. Respondents were asked to
name the outlet they turn to the most for news.
For this analysis, major channels or brands were
grouped into their larger news organization.
France 2, which is asked about specifically on a
separate question, is coded as part of France
Télévisions (France TV) in this analysis of main
news sources.
Source: Survey of eight Western European
countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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The source turned to most for news differs between French adults who are on the ideological left
and the right. Among those on the right, BFM and TF1 are the most cited main news sources, while
people on the left most often name TF1 and France TV. Overall, French adults on the left are
somewhat more fragmented in their main news source, collectively naming a greater variety of
sources than those on the right. Among adults on the right, BFM and TF1 are named by 19% and
18%, respectively, while the two most cited sources by those on the left only garner 12% each.

Main news source preference is also divided by populist anti-elitist views. Among people who hold
these populist views, TF1 is the most cited main news source (18%), while people without these
views most often name France TV (18%).2

2 Similar differences emerge along party support, which can be found in Appendix A, along with data on other demographic groups.

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In France, main news source varies by political identities

% of French adults who name each outlet as their main news source

Hold populist Do not hold populist

On the LEFT On the RIGHT anti-elitist views anti-elitist views

France TV 12% BFM 19% TF1 18% France TV 18%

TF1 12 TF1 18 BFM 14 BFM 16

BFM 11 France TV 12 France TV 12 TF1 10

Radio France 10 Le Monde 6 Le Monde 6 Le Monde 10

Le Monde 8 Radio France 9

Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who name each outlet as their main news source
La France
Republicans Socialist Party En Marche National Front Insoumise

TF1 19% France TV 16% BFM 18% TF1 21% TF1 14%

BFM 18 TF1 13 France TV 16 BFM 15 BFM 12

France TV 15 BFM 12 TF1 15 France TV 13 France TV 12

Le Monde 6 Le Monde 7 Le Monde 7 Facebook 5 Radio France 8

Facebook 5 Radio France 5 Radio France 5 Le Monde 4 Le Monde 7

Facebook 5 Facebook 6

Note: Only sources named by 5% of adults or more in each group are shown. Respondents were asked to name the outlet they turn to the
most for news. For this analysis, major channels or brands were grouped into their larger news organization. France 2, which is asked about
specifically on a separate question, is coded as part of France Télévisions (France TV) in this analysis of main news sources. Respondents
are classified as holding populist anti-elitist views if they answered: “Most elected officials don’t care what people like me think” and
“Ordinary people would do a better job solving the country’s problems than elected officials.” This does not cover all components of populism
but focuses on a few key ideas that academic studies of populism consistently identify as underlying the concept – that government should
reflect the will of “the people” and that “elites” are an antagonistic group that is out of touch with the demands of “the people.” Only some
parties are shown because the report focuses on traditional parties that have led government over the past 25 years and on populist parties.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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There are also differences in the main news source cited by adults in each age group. Among those
ages 18 to 29, Le Monde is the most commonly cited source, while those ages 30 to 49 most often
name BFM. Among those 50 and older, France TV – the country’s public media – is the most cited.

Overall, France TV is cited as a main news source by older adults more than the young. While a
quarter of those in the oldest age group say they turn to France TV most frequently, only 7% of
adults ages 30 to 49 and 3% of
those 18 to 29 say the same. Different mix of main news sources cited by French
adults in each age group
Additionally, younger adults % of French adults in each age group who name each outlet as their main
are slightly more fragmented news source
than older adults in their main
Ages 18-29 30-49 50+
news source. While nearly half
of adults ages 50 and older Le Monde 20% BFM 17% France TV 25%
(47%) name one of the top two
Facebook 11 TF1 11 TF1 22
main news sources (France TV
and TF1), a smaller portion of BFM 10 France TV 7 BFM 15
adults ages 18 to 29 (31%) and
TF1 9 Le Monde 6 Radio France 7
30 to 49 (28%) concentrate
around their top two main Radio France 6
news sources.
M6 6

Furthermore, adults ages 30 to Google 5

49 name a larger mix of main
Note: Only sources named by 5% of adults or more in each group are shown. Respondents
news sources, as seven are were asked to name the outlet they turn to the most for news. For this analysis, major
channels or brands were grouped into their larger news organization. France 2, which is
mentioned by 5% or more in asked about specifically on a separate question, is coded as part of France Télévisions
this age group. (France TV) in this analysis of main news sources.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
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Main news sources also vary by education

levels. Those with more than a secondary French adults with more education tend
education collectively name a larger mix of to name a larger mix of main news
main news sources than those with a secondary sources
education or less. % of French adults at each education level who name
each outlet as their main news source

Among those with high education levels, Le Secondary More than

education or less secondary education
Monde is at the top, cited by 13%, along with
four other outlets that were named by 5% or TF1 19% Le Monde 13%
more in this group. In contrast, those with
France TV 18 BFM 10
lower education levels are more concentrated,
collectively citing only three outlets above the Radio
BFM 17 10
France
5% threshold. At the top is TF1, mentioned by
TF1 9
19% of adults with a secondary education or
less, followed closely by France TV (18%) and France TV 8
BFM (17%). Note: Only sources named by 5% of adults or more in each group
are shown. Respondents were asked to name the outlet they turn to
the most for news. For this analysis, major channels or brands were
grouped into their larger news organization. France 2, which is
asked about specifically on a separate question, is coded as part of
France Télévisions (France TV) in this analysis of main news
sources.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct.
30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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5. Where users place outlets’ ideologies

Another way to examine attitudes across news media outlets is to look at the relationship between
the ideological profile of an outlet’s audience and where people think it falls on a left-right
ideological scale. To do this, the study asked respondents who have heard of the outlets where they
think each falls on the left-right ideological scale used in this study, where 0 represents the far left
and 6 represents the far right.

Across the eight countries surveyed, people who get news from an outlet tend to think it is closer to
their own left-right ideological position. In France, news users on either the right or left tend to
place three outlets closer to their own ideology: the public television channel France 2, the 24-hour
TV news channel BFM and the newspaper Le Monde. Right-aligned and left-aligned news users,
however, generally agree on the ideological placement of the TV channel TF1.3

3 Le Figaro, Libération, L’Express and Mediapart are not included in this analysis, because they did not have a large enough sample of left or
right users to analyze.

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Ideological placement of news outlets in France

Note: Some outlets are not included because their audience sample sizes are too small to analyze. Left and right users’ outlet placements are
considered different if the percentage of left and right users that place the outlet on the left (from 0 to 2), on the right (from 4 to 6), or both
are significantly different. The survey asked respondents a series of questions about eight specific outlets in their country, which in some
cases are part of a larger news organization. Therefore, the outlets listed here may differ from the main news source outlets analyzed. For
example, in France, the survey asked specifically about France 2, which is part of France Télévisions.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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In general, where the public places an outlet tends to differ from where the average audience
actually sits ideologically. For each of the news outlets asked about in the survey, the average
audience (based on self-reported usage) tends to fall near the ideological center. People who have
heard of the outlet, however, tend to place the outlet either farther to the left or farther to the right
than the actual ideological position of the outlet’s audience.

France is no exception; for most outlets, while their news audiences are near the ideological
center, people who have heard of the outlets tend to think they lean slightly more to the right. TF1,
for example, has an audience that sits at about the middle of the left-right spectrum (3.3 on the 0-
to-6 scale), but when asked to place the outlet on the same left-right scale, people who have heard
of it place the outlet farther to the right (at 4.1).

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People tend to think outlets in France are more

partisan than their average audiences’ ideologies
Mean placement of each outlet’s audience on a 0-to-6 left-right scale
compared with where those who have heard of the outlet place it on that
same scale

Note: An outlet’s audience is defined as respondents who say they get news regularly from
that outlet. The survey asked respondents a series of questions about eight specific outlets
in their country, which in some cases are part of a larger news organization. Therefore, the
outlets listed here may differ from the main news source outlets analyzed. For example, in
France, the survey asked specifically about France 2, which is part of France Télévisions.
Left-right spread is the difference between the outlet farthest to the left and the outlet
farthest to the right.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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6. Trust in specific news outlets in France

In seven of the eight countries
surveyed, the public news In France, the public displays high levels of trust in
organization is the most their public news organization
trusted news outlet asked % of French adults who generally trust or distrust each news outlet
about in each country. This is
the case in France, where a
large majority of French adults
(73%) say they trust the public
broadcaster France 2.

Note: People who said they had not heard of an outlet or refused to respond to the question
about whether they get news from an outlet are grouped under “Haven’t heard of” here.
Respondents were asked about eight specific outlets, which in some cases are part of a
larger news organization. The survey asked specifically about France 2, which is part of
France Télévisions. Public broadcaster is in bold.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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As with trust in the news media generally, trust in specific outlets varies by populist leanings, with
those who hold populist anti-elitist views expressing lower levels of trust than those who don’t.

In France, those with populist anti-elitist views are 18 percentage points less likely than those
without these views to say they trust the public news organization France 2. Trust is also divided
along the left-right ideological spectrum – those who place themselves on the left of the 0-to-6
ideological scale are 25 points less likely than people on the right to trust the private news
broadcaster TF1.

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In France, those with populist anti-elitist views tend to

trust news outlets less than those without such views
Among French adults who ___, % who generally trust each news outlet

Trust is also divided along the left-right spectrum

% of French adults in each ideological group who generally trust each news
outlet

Note: Respondents are classified as holding populist anti-elitist views if they answered:
“Most elected officials don’t care what people like me think” and “Ordinary people would do
a better job solving the country’s problems than elected officials.” This does not cover all
components of populism but focuses on a few key ideas that academic studies of populism
consistently identify as underlying the concept – that government should reflect the will of
“the people” and that “elites” are an antagonistic group that is out of touch with the
demands of “the people.” Respondents were asked about eight specific outlets, which in
some cases are part of a larger news organization. The survey asked specifically about
France 2, which is part of France Télévisions.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
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Differences along party

support are in line with France 2 garners widest support among those who are
differences based on ideology. favorable of each party
Those who view parties on the Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who
generally trust each news outlet
right favorably have higher
Socialist National La France
levels of trust in TF1 and BFM. Republicans Party En Marche Front Insoumise
French adults who favor France 2 77% 80% 82% 73% 73%
parties on the left are TF1 77 64 70 75 61
especially trusting of Le BFM 62 56 61 63 52
Le Monde 53 58 59 42 56
Monde and Libération.
Le Figaro 47 41 43 37 38
L’Express 40 39 41 33 36
Trust in specific news outlets
Libération 32 44 39 27 45
also varies based on political Mediapart 17 28 30 14 36
party favorability. Among the
Note: Respondents were asked about eight specific outlets, which in some cases are part of
eight outlets asked, France 2 a larger news organization. The survey asked specifically about France 2, which is part of
France Télévisions. Only some parties are shown because the report focuses on traditional
garners the widest support, parties that have led government over the past 25 years and on populist parties.
with 73% or more of those who Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
favor each party saying they
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trust the outlet. In contrast,
Libération, a daily newspaper
in France, is trusted at far lower rates, with no more than 45% of those with a favorable view of any
party saying they trust this outlet.

Differences also emerge between parties, the largest occurring between the two populist parties:
45% of those with a favorable view of La France Insoumise say they trust Libération, compared
with 27% of people with a favorable view of the National Front – an 18-point difference.

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While trust in the overall news

media is quite low among all Younger adults more likely than older adults to trust
age groups in France, this is each of the four print outlets asked about in France
not necessarily the case when % of French adults in each age group who generally trust each news outlet
it comes to trust in certain Ages YOUNGEST–
18-29 30-49 50+ OLDEST DIFF
outlets. Among the eight
Le Monde 73% 55% 38% +35
outlets asked about in France,
Le Figaro 53 38 28 +25
both France 2 and TF1 stand Libération 46 39 26 +20
out as having high levels of L’Express 43 35 29 +14
trust across all ages, with 59% Mediapart 30 29 22 +8
or more of adults in each age France 2 71 70 76 -5
group saying they trust these TF1 62 59 68 -6
outlets. BFM 49 57 56 -7
Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold. Respondents were asked about eight
specific outlets, which in some cases are part of a larger news organization. The survey
When it comes to trust in asked specifically about France 2, which is part of France Télévisions.
other outlets, however, the Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
differences between age PEW RESEARCH CENTER
groups are notable. For
example, those ages 18 to 29
are more likely than those ages 50 and older to trust each of the four print news outlets asked
about – Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération and L’Express – and these gaps in trust are quite
substantial. Younger adults are at least 14 percentage points more trusting of each of these sources
than those 50 and older. In the case of Le Monde, there is a 35-point gap in trust; about three-
quarters of those under 30 (73%) trust the outlet, compared with roughly four-in-ten of those 50
and older (38%).

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Trust levels in specific news

media outlets also differ In France, those with more education tend to trust print
across education levels. news outlets more than those with lower levels
Those with high levels of % of French adults at each education level who generally trust each news outlet
education are more likely Secondary More than MORE–LESS
than those with lower education secondary EDUCATION
or less education DIFF
education levels to trust each Le Monde 40% 71% +31
of the four print news outlets Mediapart 19 42 +23
included in the survey. And Libération 27 49 +22
L’Express 27 47 +20
among the four, Le Monde
Le Figaro 30 47 +17
stands out for having the France 2 73 75 +2
largest gap, with those having BFM 57 50 –7
a higher level of education TF1 68 55 –13
being 31 percentage points Note: Statistically significant differences are in bold. Respondents were asked about eight
specific outlets, which in some cases are part of a larger news organization. The survey asked
more trusting of the outlet specifically about France 2, which is part of France Télévisions.
than those with less Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
education.
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Of the three television outlets

asked about – France 2, TF1 and BFM – both TF1 and BFM are trusted at higher rates among
those with lower levels of education than those with higher levels. France 2, on the other hand, is
trusted by majorities in both education groups.

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Acknowledgments
This report is a collaborative effort based on the input and analysis of the following individuals.
Find related reports online at: [Link]/journalism and [Link]/global.

Primary researchers
Nami Sumida, Research Analyst
Mason Walker, Research Assistant
Amy Mitchell, Director, Journalism Research
Katerina Eva Matsa, Associate Director, Journalism Research

Research team
Elizabeth Grieco, Senior Writer
Sophia Fedeli, Research Assistant
Galen Stocking, Computational Social Scientist
James Bell, Vice President, Global Strategy
Richard Wike, Director, Global Attitudes Research
Laura Silver, Senior Researcher
Courtney Johnson, Research Associate
Kyle Taylor, Research Analyst
Margaret Porteus, Information Graphics Designer
Sara Atske, Assistant Digital Producer
David Kent, Copy Editor
Rachel Weisel, Communications Manager
Hannah Klein, Communications Associate

The report benefited from feedback provided by Théophile Lenoir and colleagues at Institut
Montaigne. An Institut Montaigne report citing the Center’s data on French media habits was also
published on May 3, 2019.

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Methodology
About Pew Research Center’s fall 2017 survey

Results for the survey are based on telephone interviews conducted under the direction of SSRS
and GfK. The results are based on national samples. More details about our international survey
methodology and country-specific sample designs are available here.

General information on international survey research

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Appendix: Detailed tables

Views of the news media by income

% of French adults at each income level who …
Below At or above
median median
Think the news media are very important to society 28% 29%
Trust the news media a lot/somewhat 36 31

% of French adults at each income level who say the news media are doing a
very/somewhat good job at …
Covering all important stories of the day 74 71
Getting the facts right 65 54
Investigating the actions of the government 52 49
Providing coverage independent of corporate influence 50 43
Being politically neutral in their news coverage 46 40

% of French adults at each income level who say the news media do a
very/somewhat good job covering …
Crime 69 65
The economy 65 67
Immigration 55 50

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
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News intake by education and income

% of French adults at each education and income level who get news at least
daily from ___ platforms

Education Income
Secondary More than Below At or above
or less secondary median median
Zero 8% 10% 9% 7%
One 26 23 30 19
Two 37 36 34 39
Three 24 25 21 27
All four 6 6 5 7

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

News platforms used daily by education and income

% of French adults at each education and income level who get news at least
daily from …

Education Income
Secondary More than Below At or above
or less secondary median median
TV 76% 58% 71% 70%
Radio 49 60 47 59
Online 43 59 42 55
Print 26 18 23 23

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

[Link]
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Social media news habits by education and income

% of French adults at each education and income level who get news from
social media …
Education Income
Secondary More than Below At or above
or less secondary median median
At least daily 29% 44% 31% 36%
Less often 12 14 13 12
Never 59 43 57 51

Among French social media news consumers at each education and income
level, % who say most of the news they see on social media comes from news
sources they …
Are familiar with 46 64 49 57
Are not familiar with 11 10 11 10
Do not pay attention to 42 24 38 32

Among French social media news consumers at each education and income
level, % who say that the news they see on social media is ___ with their own
political views
Often in line 7 16 10 11
Sometimes in line 49 61 49 59
Rarely in line 35 19 34 24

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

[Link]
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Social media news habits by ideology

% of French adults in each ideological group who get news from social
media …
Left Center Right
At least daily 42% 29% 30%
Less often 13 13 12
Never 45 58 58

Among French social media news consumers in each ideological group, % who
say most of the news they see on social media comes from news sources they …
Are familiar with 53 52 54
Are not familiar with 11 12 9
Do not pay attention to 35 35 36

Among French social media news consumers in each ideological group, % who
say that the news they see on social media is ___ with their own political
views
Often in line 16 10 8
Sometimes in line 52 57 57
Rarely in line 26 28 30

Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

[Link]
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Social media news habits by political party favorability

Among French adults who have a favorable view of each party, % who get news from social media …
Socialist La France
Republicans Party En Marche National Front Insoumise
At least daily 33% 38% 32% 34% 45%
Less often 13 15 12 14 12
Never 54 47 56 52 43

Among social media news consumers who have a favorable view of each party, % who use each site most often
for news
Facebook 78 76 75 89 79
Twitter 10 11 13 3 9
Other 7 9 6 6 7

Among social media news consumers who have a favorable view of each party, % who say most of the news they
see on social media comes from news sources they …
Are familiar with 51 50 53 55 56
Are not familiar with 11 13 10 7 10
Do not pay attention to 37 34 35 38 34

Among social media news consumers who have a favorable view of each party, % who say that the news they see on
social media is ___ with their own political views
Often in line 11 13 10 13 11
Sometimes in line 52 56 61 45 58
Rarely in line 33 28 26 38 28

Note: Only some parties are shown because the report focuses on traditional parties that have led government over the past 25 years and
on populist parties.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

[Link]
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PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Main news source by education and income

% of French adults at each education and income level who name each outlet
as their main news source
Education Income
Secondary More than Below At or above
or less secondary median median
TF1 19% 9% 19% 13%
France TV 18 8 18 13
BFM 17 10 15 14
Radio France 4 10 5 7
Le Monde 3 13 5 8

Note: Only sources named by 5% of adults or more in any group are shown. Respondents
were asked to name the outlet they turn to the most for news. For this analysis, major
channels or brands were grouped into their larger news organization. France 2, which is
asked about specifically on a separate question, is coded as part of France Télévisions
(France TV) in this analysis of main news sources.
Source: Survey of eight Western European countries conducted Oct. 30-Dec. 20, 2017.
“News Media Attitudes in France”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

[Link]