Even though newspapers sell only about half as many copies in France as in Britain or Germany and young people buy papers particularly infrequently, Play Bac has succeeded in creating demand for a range of newspapers created specifically for children. Petit Quotidien (6-9 years), Mon Quotidien (10-14 years), and L'Actu (14 years and up up) have combined circulation of 165,000. Is there any magic to this?

"We're like a local newspaper, with three regions. They're completely different in what you read." François Dufour, the paper's editor and founder, told the New York Times. The trick is, readers are invited to help with the editing, and their views are actually respected. In the words of Caroline Hallé, Mon Quotidien's national editor, "We propose, they choose." It's no longer a case of adults simply decided what's best for the children: twice a week, a selection of the paper's young readers are invited to help choose stories.
Even though business is profitable, the age-relative decline in subscriptions tells a story of its own. Thus while Petit Quotidien has 75,000 subscribers, Mon Quotidien has only 60,000 and L'Actu a mere 30,000. However, increasing circulation may cancel out existing profits since current distribution is by subscribtion only, thereby excluding the extra costs that would arise through selling in outlets such as kiosks.

To ensure the subscriptions keep rolling in, free copies are distributed to schools. The children get acquainted with the papers in school, and 'encourage' their parents to take out subscriptions for them.

Any plans for the internet? "We do nothing on the internet." Dufour told the NYT. "The parents won't pay for it" he explained, referring to the free online video shown daily. Does the fact that these children who have grown up with the Internet but still want to read news on paper bode well for the print newspaper industry?

Source: The New York Times