Learning French is not limited to the commonly used phrases or increasing your vocabulary. The best way to learn French is to emerge in the country and culture of the target language to see notable improvements.
And what better way to engage in another culture and country than the news. Not only can you increase your knowledge of French news, you can also improve your reading skills.
Dig into this list of the best French news websites to check out worldwide news in the French language.
1. France 24
France 24 is France’s first international news channel. They broadcast worldwide and, presently, they have both an English and French online portal. With the latest breaking news, you can find news from French perspectives on topics like culture, business, and sports.
2. Expatica
Expatica is one of the largest online news media companies in France. You can find both local and international news about France and this website is specifically designed to provide information for expats living in France. You can read some English articles on the website as well.
3. Le Monde
Le Monde, is a French daily newspaper. It remains one of the most widely-distributed newspapers in France. At the end of WWII, Le Monde was founded due to the demand for a print medium and was found even outside of France. Presently, it covers all kinds of current news about France, including politics, culture, world news and the economy.
Check out the list of French speaking countries in the world.
4. Le Figaro
Le Figaro is the oldest French newspaper not only in France but also the oldest newspaper in the world. Since 1846, it has remained the equivalent of conservative newspapers like The Times or the Wall Street Journal. This daily newspaper has an online portal as well as a famous magazine supplement named Madame Figaro.
5. Mediapart
Created in 2008, Mediapart is an independent online journal. It was created by the former editor-in-chief of Le Monde, Edwy Plenel. This investigative journal plays a crucial role in revealing and investigating political scandals as it is an independent.
6. Le Canard Enchainé
Le Canard Enchainé is a weekly published satirical newspaper. The title of the newspaper literally translates to “the chained duck”. It covers investigative journalism on economic and political scandals. As there are many puns and cultural references in almost every piece, it might be hard to understand for French non-natives.
7. Les Echos
Founded in 1908, Les Echos is the first financial newspaper in France. Due to their liberal stance, it is considered as The Financial Times of France. Along with reports on economic analysis by leading economists, the news portal also contains news on various topics like science and innovation.
8. RFI
For news and information on different topics like politics, sports, and culture, RFI is a notable one in France. Besides their online news portal, they also have news live-streaming on events in France and Europe.
9. Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique is a monthly paper which is published in 27 different languages along with French. This Paris – based news media is read by over a million people all over the world. They offer analysis and opinion articles as well on a variety of topics.
10. Zimo news
On the website Zimo news, you will be able to find news on a wide variety of topics about France and the world. Some mentioned are architecture, sports, health, hi-tech, beauty, travel and many more.
11. L’Equipe
For any kind of news on sports, L’Équipe is the one-website to go to. Ranging from motorcycle racing to soccer and many other sports, this French newspaper is only dedicated to sports.
12. France Diplomatie News
France Diplomatie News is a news website owned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. You can find any diplomatic news and French articles written by freelance journalists on every issue of France.
13. La Croix
La Croix is a French newspaper that covers different aspects of France and the world, such as culture, economy and sports. Initially, it was a Catholic newspaper. However, presently, it has a diverse audience who are interested in the topics covered by the newspaper.
14. Le Gorafi
If you enjoy reading The Onion, you will enjoy reading Le Gorafi. This news website is the perfect website for practicing your reading skills in French with its simple structure and variety of interesting topics.
15. VoxEurop
VoxEurop is a European magazine in French along with 10 other European languages. They cover news and articles on different topics and translate many articles from other pioneering French and European newspapers.
16. Le Journal de Montréal
Accessed freely, Le Journal de Montréal is a daily newspaper which is based in France and Canada. You will be able to understand most of the articles in it with its simpler vocabulary and interesting stories.
17. PACA
PACA is a regional daily newspaper. Along with covering the local news of France, you can also find national news to stay up to date.
18. Libération
Since May 1968, Libération has become a daily newspaper with a revolutionary stance. Following the protests in France, philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and journalist Serge founded this news portal. It is referred to as the perfect reading for bourgeois-bohemians.
19. Charlie Hebdo
Another satirical newspaper on the list is Charlie Hebdo. It is a weekly newspaper that features articles and cartoons on different controversial issues. It often causes provocation, yet it remains a great source for the latest updates.
20. L’Humanité
L’Humanité is an independent left-wing newspaper in France. When it was founded in 1904, it was under the influence of the French Communist Party. Later, over the years, the newspaper evolved and presently covers a variety of news.
Reading is one of the crucial skills of language learning. So, to connect with the culture and society of the targeted language. With the liberated journalism of France, you can get the view of different perspectives alongside enhancing your reading skills by checking out the French news websites.
