Today, the French ministry of culture and communication launched season three of 'Mon Journal Offert' ('My Free Newspaper'), an initiative established in 2009 as part of a government bailout of the press, aimed at encouraging people between the ages of 18 and 24 to read daily newspapers in print. The scheme allows any citizen of France or one of its departments, aged between 18 and 24, the chance to claim a free daily newspaper - selected from a range of 61 titles - one day a week for a year.

Young French people have a limited period of time to take advantage of this offer - the window for subscription begins on October 5 and closes December 31, after which 220,000 young people will be able to receive a free daily newspaper. Successful applicants are selected on a first come, first served basis as demand always outstrips supply; in previous years close to 400,000 applications have been made, according to the ministry of culture's website.

At today's launch, this seasons advertising campaigns were revealed to the press, the key message being that the written press is a reliable source of information. A poster campaign asks parents whether their kids think that "Francis Bacon is the king of breakfast" or if they think the "the senate is a formula one driver". The television campaign shows a news report claiming that the FBI has discovered a secret Russian method for intercepting transmissions - a dog in a cone collar. Another shows scientists attempting to recreate Van Gough's work as he would have seen it, thanks to an unusual optical malady - as it turns out, what the rest of the world sees as a landscape, Van Gough saw as a cat in hat. The message: if you want real information, look for it in a newspaper.

Admirable as this scheme is, what the rest of the world will be asking is: does it work? Are young people becoming more engaged in current affairs and, most crucially, more interested in print publications as a result? A survey undertaken in June and July this year seems to indicate the scheme has managed to raise interest in current affairs, as 64% of those questioned stated they were more interested in current affairs than before taking part in the scheme.

After having taken part in 'Mon Journal Offert', 41% of young people interviewed stated they neither want to subscribe to a paper nor buy it at a press kiosk. This figure isn't encouraging, but it is an accurate reflection of the difficult times the newspaper industry is facing. What the survey manages to do effectively is analyse the 59% of young people who said they would either subscribe to a paper or buy them in kiosks and identify why those people are interested in the press. Some like the relaxation reading a physical printed publication provides, others appreciate the consistent quality of the content, sole appreciate the social aspect of sharing a paper with those around them and debating the content.

'Mon Journal Offert' seems to show that, with a little encouragement, some young readers can become interested in printed newspapers. Is it a scheme that could work elsewhere? Or should attempts to encourage the younger generation to read news be focused on digital efforts?

Sources: Editors Weblog, Ministère de la culture et de la communication web site,