France Offers Free Newspapers to Young Adults

France is trying to give its imploding newspaper industry a new lease on life by enticing young people into the habit of reading a daily paper. The government's “Mon Journal Offer”—part of a $900 million bailout of the industry—offers a free year's subscription to one of 60 papers to any 18-to-24-year-olds who sign up, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

The percentage of French young adults reading a daily paper has halved to just 10% over the last decade. The freebie program can work if newspapers "succeed in interesting them in the news with relevant content and approaches, by investing in other platforms, and by strengthening links with them,” notes an editorial writer at Ouest-France. Her paper started offering free subscriptions to young people years ago and found 65% kept reading the paper when the year was up.
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