The state of French press is concerning. Press freedom means journalists can work and serve the public without economic, political or legal pressure. This is under threat. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) puts it plainly: an attack on journalism is an attack on democracy. With a high-stakes presidential election due in 2027, warnings about freedom of the press must be taken seriously.
Journalists under Attack during the Protests
Since September 29, the EFJ has reported thirteen cases of violence or obstruction against journalists during the current protests, driven by student and high school mobilisation. Eight of them are attributed to law enforcement officers, in breach of the National Framework for Public Order Policing, which is meant to serve as protection to journalists. The EFJ has identified police violence as the largest threat to journalistic safety.
This is not a new concern. Journalists have previously been under major attack during pension protests in 2024. According to the National Union of Journalists (SNJ), they were subject to police violence. A Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium recorded nineteen incidents of police violence, affecting at least thirty journalists.
Accountability is rare. Of 21 complaints filed by Reporters Without Borders, only two ended in a conviction. No disciplinary action is taken unless there is a court hearing. Obstructions and violence have forced journalists to withdraw. When reporters withdraw because of violent pressure, press freedom is under threat.
Concentrated Ownership and Economic Pressure
Media pluralism struggles to function under highly concentrated ownership of the media in the hands of six industrial groups. Among these are Bolloré, LVMH, CMA CGM, Bouygues and Dassault. Most regional dailies are also held by a few conglomerates. The 2026 Media Pluralism Monitor rates market pluralism risk in France as very high.
Many of these groups hold significant interests outside journalism. According to the MFRR report, this has produced documented editorial interference. A decline in independence signifies a decline in quality of information. Vincent Bolloré, a billionaire media mogul, has not been discrete about his far-right objectives for the media outlets under his control. Philippe Bilger, known for a hardline right-wing stance and a reporter of CNews, a right-wing TV channel owned by Bolloré, was let go after expressing disapproval over Israel’s conduct in Gaza. At the French newspaper, Le Journal de Dimanche, likewise controlled by Vincent Bolloré, the introduction of a new editor in 2023 resulted in 90% of the newsrooms resignation.
Declining Trust in Institutions
The relationship between public opinion and media is one of mistrust. The causes of low trust are many but press in which journalists are endangered and that is shaped by a few owners is poorly equipped to deserve public trust. A Reuters report found levels of trust as low as 29%, placing France 41st out of the 48 markets reported on. French audiences were also found to have the lowest level of news literacy in the Reuters survey at 11%. An audience with low trust and low literacy does not signify a healthy press environment. The relationship between the press and the public is under serious strain.
What this means for 2027
Pressure on journalists will intensify leading up to election in April 2027. During the 2024 European and legislative elections, recorded attacks nearly quadrupled and xenophobia motivated attacks doubled. Journalists reporting on the far right were the most popular targets. Far-right parties’ hostility towards journalists, especially public broadcaster, raises questions about the future direction of media policy and journalists’ rights. Verbal attacks on journalists are already intensifying on both sides of the polarised political spectrum. On September 29 Marine Le Pen, party leader of the far-right National Rally, warned Mediapart, an independent online newspaper, to wear a “Kevlar suit”, a suit made of protective armour. Sophia Chikirou, a La France Insoumise (LFI) (France Unbowed) democratic socialist MP, referred to journalists as “little Nazis”. Statements like these have serious implications and promote self-censorship by journalists.
Action must be taken
There must be an immediate call to implement the European Media Freedom Act without delay. It requires merger assessments for pluralism, public ownership debate and independent, adequately funded public media. France should strengthen its independent press, through a dedicated budget. Violence against journalists must be met with disciplinary action.
France must act now to stabilise the state of its press freedom before heightened hostility during the 2027 presidential election further destabilises the situation.
Image featured above is sourced from Wikimedia Commons
