Le Nouvel Observateur

Le Nouvel Observateur

Type	weekly newsmagazine
Format	newsmagazine
Owner	Groupe Perdriel
Editor	Laurent Joffrin
Founded	1964
Political alignment	Social-democratic
Headquarters	12 Place de la Bourse 75002 Paris
ISSN	0029-4713
Official website	nouvelobs.com

Le Nouvel Observateur (often shorten to Le Nouvel Obs) is a weekly French newsmagazine. Based in Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation (currently at 538,200).

Since 1964, it has covered political, business and economic news. It features extensive coverage of European, Middle Eastern and African political, commercial and cultural issues. Its strongest areas are political and literary matters and is noted for its in-depth treatment of the main issues of the day. It has been described as "the French intellectuals' parish magazine", or more pejoratively as "quasi-official organ of France's 'gauche caviar'".^[1]

The magazine's new charter, adopted in June 2004 (on the 40th anniversary of its founding), described the paper's principles:

...The Nouvel Observateur is a cultural and political weekly whose orientation belongs within the general social-democratic movement. A tradition ever concerned with combining respect for freedom and the quest for social justice.

Its current editorial board is presided over by two of its co-founders, Jean Daniel and Claude Perdriel, two editors-in-chief, Laurent Joffrin and Serge Lafaurie, as well as director general, Jacqueline Galvez. André Gorz and other journalists who had left L'Express helped found the publication.

Publishing history

• Founded in 1950, it was initially named L'Observateur politique, economique et littéraire
• From 1953 to 1954 it was briefly called L'Observateur d'aujourd'hui
• From 1954 to 1964 it was published as France-observateur
• From 1964 to the present day it has been known as Le Nouvel Observateur

Jean Daniel and Claude Perdriel were the founders of the 1964 incarnation of the magazine.

Related publications

Le Nouvel Observateur also publishes ParisObs, a general information supplement with a focus on Paris and the Île-de-France region, also published weekly.

Additionally, the TéléCinéObs supplement includes articles about the TV and cinema worlds.

Finally, Challenges is an international business magazine published by Le Nouvel Observateur beginning in 1982. Released fortnightly, it includes information on companies and their managers at the CEO level all around the world.

See also

	Paris portal
	Journalism portal

• L'Express - right-wing newsmagazine, owned by the same group as Le Figaro
• Le Point - middle-of-the-road newsmagazine
• Voyage Au Pays Des Nouveaux Gourous, France 3 documentary on Landmark Education, reported on by Nouvel Observateur

References

1. ^ Vinocur, John (June 20, 2006). "Chirac's Potential Heirs Keeping Change Hidden". International Herald Tribune, republished by The New york Times. http://select.nytimes.com/iht/2006/06/20/world/IHT-20politicus.html. Retrieved 2008-09-12. 

External links

• Le Nouvel Observateur website
• Mobile version
• The Nouvel Observateur's 2004 Charter
• "At home with the gurus in neckties.", Nouvel Observateur, French newspaper, May 19, 2005, by Marie Lemonnier.