{"id":1307,"date":"2024-07-11T20:18:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2024arles\/?p=1307"},"modified":"2024-11-25T05:54:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T05:54:59","slug":"print-media-essential-or-endangered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/print-media-essential-or-endangered\/","title":{"rendered":"Print Media in Arles: Essential or Endangered?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Story and photos by Sophia Maxim<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurent Rugiero heads the Arles edition of regional newspaper La Provence<\/a>. He said its print edition has been hanging on the verge of extinction.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been saying the paper version is dead for 10 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decades ago, newspapers and magazines were a common routine of Arl\u00e9sian culture. Now, readers have turned their eyes to digital, and print media shops are increasingly difficult to find. Despite this, local publications continue producing print editions while adapting to changing reader habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Local editor in chief Laurent Rugiero stands in front of La Provence office in Arles on June 27, 2024. Rugiero feels doubtful about the survival of print newspapers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Rugiero, La Provence is transitioning to a “digital first” schedule, meaning content will be published online before the paper edition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rugiero said he\u2019s noticed a decline in the demand for print media and a divide in habits between younger and older Arl\u00e9sians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s decreasing, and more and more rapidly because people have lost the habit of actually reading newspapers, and it\u2019s the older generation that still does,\u201d Rugiero said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maison de la Presse, next door to La Provence\u2019s office, had been the biggest news and magazine shop remaining in Arles until its owners retired in June. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s sad, and it\u2019s revealing of the effect that people are buying fewer and fewer newspapers,\u201d said Cl\u00e9mentine Morot-Sir, a staff journalist for L’Arl\u00e9sienne<\/a> magazine. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t survive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
L’Arl\u00e9sienne staff members Cl\u00e9mentine Morot-Sir (left) and El\u00e9onore Colpin-Lafuma (right) hold the summer edition in front of the publication’s archives on July 4, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maison de la Presse previously distributed a quarter of L’Arl\u00e9sienne\u2019s sales, according to staff layout designer and journalist El\u00e9onore Colpin-Lafuma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know what will happen to these almost 400 magazines,\u201d Colpin-Lafuma said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rugiero explained that kiosks around town used to specialize in print media but no longer exist in Arles and have become rare throughout France. In place of dedicated stores or kiosks, local newspapers have turned to distributing in supermarkets, cafes and bakeries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
An Arl\u00e9sienne local grabs a copy of daily regional newspaper La Provence from Maison Soulier bakery on Emile Zola Boulevard on July 13, 2024. Some Arl\u00e9sians read the paper as a part of their morning routine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Increased paper costs prompted La Provence to decrease its number of pages per issue, Rugiero said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Print costs have also impacted the city\u2019s magazine, Arles Info<\/a>, which aims to distribute free copies to all Arl\u00e9sians by mail and around town. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arles has the largest surface area of any city in France, seven times<\/a> the size of Paris. The territory contains many small houses and isolated villages, making distribution an extensive effort, Arles Info editor Romain Vauzelle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes, the distributor has to go 25 km to distribute five magazines, so it’s not possible economically,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2026, print distribution companies will be prohibited from delivering publications like Arles Info when residents apply a \u201cNo Advertisements\u201d sticker to their mailbox. Readers who use the sticker will no longer receive the magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To adjust, the magazine may cut distribution to a list of residents who register for delivery and add more drop-off points throughout the city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a portion of people who don’t read it, so there’s some waste,\u201d Laurent said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While print remains central, Arles Info prioritizes its digital platform more than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think today, it’s the [search engine optimization] of all these publications that counts and how to get to people’s phones because the phone, ultimately, is the mass media today,” Laurent said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite this shift, print media maintains its advantages for Arles Info, Vauzelle said, including the comfort of reading and the depth of engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that when people decide to take time to read, it is much more likely to be an article in paper format than on the internet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast with digital, the print edition of Arles Info has longevity and visibility in public spaces to provide a positive image for the city, Laurent said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a showcase,\u201d Vauzelle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Vauzelle, Arl\u00e9sians have a strong attachment to the print magazine and complain if they don\u2019t receive the paper in their letterboxes on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, for La Provence, Rugiero said digital media meets the fast-paced needs of the daily news. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe advantages [of print]? There are not very many advantages anymore,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A copy of La Provence, Arles edition lies left behind in the grass on July 4, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the future of La Provence, Rugiero said, \u201cIt will only be on the internet.\u201d He estimates \u201ctwo, three, five years\u201d until its print edition is terminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand that the new generation wants something different,\u201d Rugiero said. \u201cWe will never be able to go back. It\u2019s inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to local newspapers, the staff of L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne magazine believes its print issue will endure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have strong readers, and loyal,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s also a political act to buy free press, so there is still always a strong base of buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
L’Arl\u00e9sienne staff members Cl\u00e9mentine Morot-Sir (left) and El\u00e9onore Colpin-Lafuma (right) pick up the summer edition in their office on July 4, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Morot-Sir said L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne and La Provence audiences overlap, so L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne tries to be \u201ccomplimentary\u201d by serving a separate role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Morot-Sir, L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne magazine focuses on investigative, long-form stories compared to the daily news of La Provence. This content pairs ideally with the print format, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe value the fact that it\u2019s an object that can last,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I think we can treat some topics more profoundly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colpin-Lafuma said the maquette<\/em>, or print layout design, allows for visual strategy. L’Arl\u00e9sienne produces the magazine in black-and-white, which she said saves time. They aim for the print magazine to be simple and easy to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
L’Arl\u00e9sienne layout designer and journalist El\u00e9onore Colpin-Lafuma shows her technical process for the summer edition on July 4, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne publishes most stories in print and online with a paywall that lasts until around six months after release. It occasionally publishes online-only stories for breaking news developments and sometimes suspends the online paywall to give public access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s something really important and we want everybody, even the people who don\u2019t usually buy magazines, to read it, we make both print and the web with a paywall or not,\u201d Morot-Sir said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three staff members produce the publication, with freelance writers and photographers contributing to each issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne prints around 1,200-1,300 copies per issue. This year, it sold 1,000 copies on average per issue. Sales vary by season, so the magazine prints more in the summer to meet demand. The publication distributes magazines in over 10 shops<\/a> in Arles, including bookstores, cafes and a beer bar, and around eight more locations in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Distribution] is an issue,\u201d Morot-Sir said. \u201cWe need volunteers. We try to have a team of volunteers to help us. It takes a lot of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne plays an active role in local social issues through their reporting, Morot-Sir said. In January 2024, it covered a threat to displace<\/a> Romani families living in encampments near the Rh\u00f4ne river, which Morot-Sir said influenced the local government to change plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe heard after that that the mairie<\/em> [city hall] took a step back because they were afraid of the bad press,\u201d Morot-Sir said. \u201cMaybe it will happen, but it\u2019s been delayed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Colpin-Lafuma, the magazine spreads cultural rhetoric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is something unifying by the common references that L\u2019Arl\u00e9sienne creates, like the cards we give out at the events with little phrases in black-and-white,\u201d Colpin-Lafuma said. \u201cA lot of people collect them and love them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
L’Arl\u00e9sienne journalist Eric Besatti speaks at the summer issue release party at the p\u00eatanque grounds at Place de la Crosi\u00e8re on June 28, 2024. The community event was centered around p\u00eatanque, a popular Proven\u00e7al boule game.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Colpin-Lafuma said some people collect the magazine as a statement of Arl\u00e9sian identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s something that people really like, and also it shows appartenance<\/em> [belonging] of the community, and you are proud to live here,\u201d Coplin-Lafuma said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claire Fanchini and Monica Ronco<\/em><\/em> served as interpreters for this story.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Story and photos by Sophia Maxim Laurent Rugiero heads the Arles edition of regional newspaper La Provence. He<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-1307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media","tag-arles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/presse-wordart-6-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1307"}],"version-history":[{"count":71,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2005,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions\/2005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.ieimedia.com\/2025arles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}