The top three adjectives to describe media coverage were “anxiety-inducing” (56%), “excessive” (45%) and “catastrophic” (28%). A study by the French National Audiovisual Institute in March concluded that for eight weeks, 74% of broadcast time across French channels was dedicated to the COVID-19 crisis.ĭuring the first week of September, the Viavoice Institute conducted a survey about audiences’ perception of coronavirus coverage. Ideal timingīy summer, French readers were fatigued by the onslaught of coronavirus coverage. Considering how much summer magazines are shared, Franck Annese, the proprietor of Society, estimates that four to five million people read the story. On July 23 and August 6, Society published their 77-page investigation, surprising everyone when they surpassed their goal by selling 400,000 copies. Society knew it would be a popular story, and they expected to sell around 70,000 copies, which is double their average. The story of de Ligonès has long fascinated readers in France, and many books, stories and fictional movies have already been made on the topic. Society’s journalists revealed numerous new details about de Ligonès’ toxic relationship with his wife, his debts and how his disappearance affected his two best friends. The story explored the mystery behind how Xavier Dupont de Ligonès disappeared in 2011 after killing his wife, their four children and their two dogs. Besides diminishing circulation, Presstalis, one of the two companies responsible for print distribution in the country, faced a debt moratorium and internal strikes, which disrupted readers’ access to print publications and magazines’ revenue.Įven in the midst of these challenges, French bi-monthly magazine Society published a two-part investigation that journalists had been working on for five years. It has been a gloomy year for magazines in France.