About
Émile de Girardin (1806-1881) was a major figure in the French press. The illegitimate son of Count Alexandre de Girardin, he adopted his father's name after publishing his autobiographical novel Émile (1827). In 1836, he founded the daily newspaper La Presse, sold at half the price of competitors thanks to advertising funding, revolutionizing journalism. He was also elected deputy several times between 1834 and 1881. His career was marked by a duel in 1836 in which he killed journalist Armand Carrel. He first married poet Delphine Gay. After 1848, he initially supported Louis-Napoléon then opposed the Empire. In 1872, he bought Le Petit Journal and made it a popular success.
* 1802-06-22 — † 1881-04-27
Major works
- Émile (1827)novel
- De la liberté de la presse et du journalisme (1842)essay
- Le Droit au travail (1848)essay
- Questions de mon temps, 1836 à 1856 (1858)collection of articles
Key milestones
- 1836Founded the daily newspaper La Presse, a pioneer of mass-circulation press funded by advertising.
- 1836Killed journalist Armand Carrel in a duel.
- 1872Purchased Le Petit Journal and raised its circulation to 500,000 copies.
Themes
freedom of the pressindustrialization of the press19th-century French politicsright to workjournalism
Sources: britannica.com · art.rmngp.fr · smb.museum-digital.de