ABSTRACT
The mass media of press, radio and television form an integral part of the political, economic and social life of contemporary France. They play a key role in the process of political communication, sometimes operating as an apparently passive conduit for the transmission of information, but more usually adopting a more pro-active stance in the selection and construction of news and the provision of comment. Not only are the media the most convenient means by which elites communicate both with each other and with the general public; they are also political actors in their own right, with the capacity to bring issues on to the news agenda and to mobilize public opinion in support of a particular point of view. In short, the French media are both the main arteries of a sophisticated system of political communication and major players within that system.
