La Croix
Encyclopedia
La Croix is a daily French
general-interest Roman Catholic
newspaper
. It is published in Paris
and distributed throughout the country, with a circulation of just under 110,000 as of 2009. It is not explicitly liberal
or conservative
on major political issues, rather adopting a human-centered approach in its style of journalism, in line with the Church's position. However, La Croix ought not be confused with a religious newspaper—its topics are of general interest: world news, the economy, religion
and spirituality
, parenting, culture and science. The paper was founded in 1880 and is owned by Bayard Presse
.
(1810–1880), the founder of the Assumptionists
and the Oblates of the Assumption, started the paper, although its biggest early advocate was Father Vincent-de-Paul Bailly.
La Croix succeeded in bringing together certain groups of Roman Catholics who were seeking to position themselves outside of party politics and ideologies. At the end of the 19th century, it was the most widely read Roman Catholic publication in France, with a clerical readership of more than 25,000. It gained more readers during the Dreyfus affair
with its vicious and sustained antisemitism. On 25 January 1900, the Assumptionists were dissolved by law by Waldeck-Rousseau, and the newspaper's publishing house, la Bonne Presse, was purchased by Paul Féron-Vrau.
and also helped to create a formal link between the Catholic working youth and the French Roman Catholic Church.
During the Second World War La Croix moved its editorial offices first to Bordeaux
, then to Limoges
. The paper was shut down comparatively late in the occupation, on 21 June 1944. It would not reappear until February 1945. Father Gabel oversaw the relaunch of the paper. Editor in chief from 1949, he introduced new sections, such as sports, cinema, fashion, and theatre. On 1 February 1956, La Croix began to appear for the first time without a crucifix
as a part of its header. In March 1968, the newspaper adopted a tabloid format.
In January 1972, the newspaper changed its name to la Croix-l’Événement ("the Cross-the Event"). The choice of the new title was a reflection of the editorship's desire to show that the paper was not just a religious paper, but a regular daily, reflective of modern society. The paper has a very loyal readership, as expressed by the fact that 87% of its sales are by subscription, but its low ad-space and the high cost of distribution still mean the paper run at a deficit, which is covered by the other publications of Bayard Presse
such as the magazine
Le Pèlerin
and a number of children's titles.
Bayard Press is reacting to this with a double strategy. On the one hand they are investing in the modernisation of La Croix, with electronic editing and a full electronic archive of the paper. On the other hand, they have increased their diversification, taking on a bigger presence in French children's press and adding new publications of a Catholic nature. They have also been involved in coproducing children's television
and turning certain titles, such as Notre temps, into international publications.
The paper's efforts have met with some success and in 2005 reported a 1.55% increase in circulation. Today, La Croix is one of only three daily national French newspapers to turn a profit.
The editors of La Croix observed another centennial on January 12, 1998 (the publication of Émile Zola's J'Accuse!, the opening salvo in the defence of Dreyfus) by examining its role in the Dreyfus Affair
. Where in 1898 they published "Down with the Jews!" and labeled Dreyfus as "the enemy Jew betraying France," the editors in 1998 stated "Whether Assumptionists or laymen, the editors of La Croix had at the time an inexcusable attitude."
, for writing a book that was allegedly damaging to the newspaper's editorial line. Hertoghe accused the four major French newspapers—Le Monde
, Le Figaro
, Libération
and Ouest-France
—in addition to La Croix, of biased reporting during the U.S.
war in Iraq
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
general-interest Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. It is published in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and distributed throughout the country, with a circulation of just under 110,000 as of 2009. It is not explicitly liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
or conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
on major political issues, rather adopting a human-centered approach in its style of journalism, in line with the Church's position. However, La Croix ought not be confused with a religious newspaper—its topics are of general interest: world news, the economy, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, parenting, culture and science. The paper was founded in 1880 and is owned by Bayard Presse
Bayard Presse
Bayard Presse was founded in Paris in 1870 and has since expanded into a global publishing network. Considered the e-map of France, their core publications market comes from the children's sector, and they have many magazine titles, books and the like are a core part of children's growing up...
.
Early history
Upon its appearance in 1880, the first version of la Croix was a monthly news magazine. When the Augustinians of the Assumption who ran the paper realised that the monthly format was not getting the widespread readership they desired, they decided to convert to a daily sheet sold at one penny. Accordingly La Croix transitioned into a daily on 16 June 1883. Father Emmanuel d'AlzonEmmanuel d'Alzon
Emmanuel d’Alzon was a leading figure of the Church in France in the 19th century.-Early years:He was born in Le Vigan , in southern France, to an aristocratic and intensely Catholic family from the Cévennes Mountains, the oldest of four children.In 1816 the family moved to the family château of...
(1810–1880), the founder of the Assumptionists
Assumptionists
The Augustinians of the Assumption constitute a congregation of Catholic religious , founded in Nîmes, southern France, by Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon in 1845, initially approved by Rome in 1857 and definitively approved in 1864 . The current Rule of Life of the congregation draws its inspiration from...
and the Oblates of the Assumption, started the paper, although its biggest early advocate was Father Vincent-de-Paul Bailly.
La Croix succeeded in bringing together certain groups of Roman Catholics who were seeking to position themselves outside of party politics and ideologies. At the end of the 19th century, it was the most widely read Roman Catholic publication in France, with a clerical readership of more than 25,000. It gained more readers during the Dreyfus affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
with its vicious and sustained antisemitism. On 25 January 1900, the Assumptionists were dissolved by law by Waldeck-Rousseau, and the newspaper's publishing house, la Bonne Presse, was purchased by Paul Féron-Vrau.
Renewal
For many years, la Croix appeared in two formats. The first was a small-format periodical aimed at popular readership, the second a large-format newspaper aimed at a more intellectual audience. In 1927, Father Leon Merklen having become editor in chief, la Croix began to address social problems. This was led to the initiative founding Catholic ActionCatholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
and also helped to create a formal link between the Catholic working youth and the French Roman Catholic Church.
During the Second World War La Croix moved its editorial offices first to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, then to Limoges
Limoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
. The paper was shut down comparatively late in the occupation, on 21 June 1944. It would not reappear until February 1945. Father Gabel oversaw the relaunch of the paper. Editor in chief from 1949, he introduced new sections, such as sports, cinema, fashion, and theatre. On 1 February 1956, La Croix began to appear for the first time without a crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
as a part of its header. In March 1968, the newspaper adopted a tabloid format.
In January 1972, the newspaper changed its name to la Croix-l’Événement ("the Cross-the Event"). The choice of the new title was a reflection of the editorship's desire to show that the paper was not just a religious paper, but a regular daily, reflective of modern society. The paper has a very loyal readership, as expressed by the fact that 87% of its sales are by subscription, but its low ad-space and the high cost of distribution still mean the paper run at a deficit, which is covered by the other publications of Bayard Presse
Bayard Presse
Bayard Presse was founded in Paris in 1870 and has since expanded into a global publishing network. Considered the e-map of France, their core publications market comes from the children's sector, and they have many magazine titles, books and the like are a core part of children's growing up...
such as the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
Le Pèlerin
Le Pèlerin
Le Pèlerin, today simply called Pèlerin, is a French weekly journal founded on July 12, 1873 by the Assumptionists....
and a number of children's titles.
Centennial
To celebrate its centennial in 1983, la Croix-l’Événement took on a newer, more attractive layout, added new sections and saw the arrival as editor in chief of Noël Copin. The readership continued to decline, but the new team led by Bruno Frappat, former editing director of Le Monde who arrived in January 1995, hopes to fight against this trend of general disaffectation with the press which is plaguing a large number of French newspapers. (A regular printing in 1998 would be of about 127,000 copies).Bayard Press is reacting to this with a double strategy. On the one hand they are investing in the modernisation of La Croix, with electronic editing and a full electronic archive of the paper. On the other hand, they have increased their diversification, taking on a bigger presence in French children's press and adding new publications of a Catholic nature. They have also been involved in coproducing children's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and turning certain titles, such as Notre temps, into international publications.
The paper's efforts have met with some success and in 2005 reported a 1.55% increase in circulation. Today, La Croix is one of only three daily national French newspapers to turn a profit.
The editors of La Croix observed another centennial on January 12, 1998 (the publication of Émile Zola's J'Accuse!, the opening salvo in the defence of Dreyfus) by examining its role in the Dreyfus Affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
. Where in 1898 they published "Down with the Jews!" and labeled Dreyfus as "the enemy Jew betraying France," the editors in 1998 stated "Whether Assumptionists or laymen, the editors of La Croix had at the time an inexcusable attitude."
Recent developments
In December 2003, the newspaper La Croix made headlines after firing one of its own journalists, Alain HertogheAlain Hertoghe
Alain Hertoghe is a Belgian journalist, formerly an employee of the French Catholic newspaper La Croix. He was fired in December 2003 after writing a book critical of the coverage of the U.S...
, for writing a book that was allegedly damaging to the newspaper's editorial line. Hertoghe accused the four major French newspapers—Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
, Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
and Ouest-France
Ouest-France
Ouest-France is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events. 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...
—in addition to La Croix, of biased reporting during the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
war in Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
External links
- La Croix online Regular French Press Review - Radio France International
- La Croix digital archives from 1880 to 1944 in Gallica, the digital library of the BnFBNFBNF may stand for:In science:*Biological nitrogen fixation, a process that converts nitrogen in the atmosphere to ammonia*British National Formulary, the standard drug reference manual**British National Formulary for Children...
- Article on Alain Hertoghe in the International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
(dead link).