French high school study evaluates digital newspaper access and media education

The short version

• Researchers conducted a randomized trial involving 9,628 students across 243 high schools in France during the 2024-25 school year.[Hacker News]
• Participants received either teacher-led media literacy classes or a free one-year digital subscription to a major national newspaper.[Hacker News]
• The complimentary subscriptions led to sustained news consumption increases and an 8 percentage point increase in paid subscriptions nearly a year later.[Hacker News]
• Disadvantaged schools saw student news knowledge rise by 0.20 to 0.31 standard deviations, narrowing baseline gaps by 45% to 70%.[Hacker News]

Key facts

• A randomized controlled trial took place in France during the 2024-25 school year with 9,628 students across 243 high schools.[Hacker News]
• The study evaluated teacher-directed media education lessons and a free one-year digital subscription to a leading national paper.[Hacker News]
• Free newspaper access generated sustained consumption gains and an 8 percentage point lift in paid subscriptions almost a year afterward.[Hacker News]
• News knowledge among students in disadvantaged schools grew by 0.20 to 0.31 standard deviations, cutting baseline inequality by 45% to 70%.[Hacker News]
• Media literacy rose by 0.08 to 0.26 standard deviations from both interventions, with greater improvement when teachers had previous media instruction experience.[Hacker News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Making Teenagers Read Newspapers. A Nationwide Experiment in French High SchoolsHacker News