Ouest-France
Ouest-France (French pronunciation: [wɛst.fʁɑ̃s] ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régions of Brittany, Lower Normandy and Pays de la Loire. Its readership has been unaffected by the decline of newspaper reading in France, unlike most other dailies.
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 Front page, 12 February 2014 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Berliner |
| Owner(s) | Groupe Ouest-France |
| Editor | Jean-Luc Évin |
| Founded | 1944 |
| Political alignment | Centrism Moderate conservatism |
| Headquarters | Rennes |
| Website | www.ouest-france.fr |
With 2.5 million daily readers (and a circulation of almost 800 000 units), it is by far the most read francophone newspaper in the world, ahead of French national newspapers Le Figaro and Le Monde.
History
Ouest-France was founded in 1944[1] by Adolphe Le Goaziou and others following the closure of Ouest-Éclair, which was banned by Liberation forces for collaborationism during the war.[2] It is based in Rennes and Nantes and has a circulation about 792,400 (greater than any French national daily newspaper), mostly in Brittany.
Its editorial line has been strongly pro-European integration from the beginning, influenced by Christian democracy (Popular Republican Movement), now MoDem, Nouveau Centre or Union for a Popular Movement (UMP).
The paper had a circulation of 773,471 copies in 2001 and 764,731 copies in 2002 with a market share of 14.41%.[3]
The distinct editions
The 47 different editions are divided among twelve départements :
| Département | Numbers | Circulation | Name of editions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvados | 4 | 52,000 | Bayeux, Caen, Pays d'Auge, Vire / Falaise |
| Côtes-d'Armor | 5 | 95,000 | Dinan, Guingamp, Lannion / Paimpol, Loudéac - Rostrenen, Saint-Brieuc |
| Finistère | 5 | 46,000 | Brest, Châteaulin / Carhaix, Finistère sud, Morlaix, Quimper |
| Ille-et-Vilaine | 10 | 134,000 | Redon, Rennes (Rennes nord, sud, est, ouest, centre), Saint-Malo, Vitré, Fougères |
| Loire-Atlantique | 6 | 112,000 | Châteaubriant - Ancenis, Nantes vignoble, Pays de Retz, Nantes ville, Nantes nord, St-Nazaire / La Baule |
| Maine-et-Loire | 2 | 24,000 | Angers - Segré, Cholet |
| Manche | 3 | 33,000 | Cherbourg, Saint-Lô / Coutances, Sud Manche |
| Mayenne | 1 | 41,000 | Mayenne |
| Morbihan | 5 | 113,000 | Auray, Lorient, Ploërmel, Pontivy, Vannes |
| Orne | 2 | 22,000 | Argentan-Flers, Alençon-Orme-Est |
| Sarthe | 2 | 25,000 | Le Mans / Sarthe nord, Sarthe sud |
| Vendée | 4 | 72,000 | Fontenay-le-Comte / Luçon, La Roche-sur-Yon, Montaigu / Les Herbiers, Ouest Littoral |
See also
- List of French newspapers
References
- "Historical development of the media in France" (PDF). McGraw-Hill Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- Jean-Loup Avril, Mille Bretons, dictionnaire biographique, Les Portes du Large, Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande, 2003, (ISBN 2-914612-10-9)
- David Ward (2004). "A Mapping Study of Media Concentration and Ownership in Ten European Countries" (PDF). Dutch Media Authority. Retrieved 12 August 2014.