Le Monde diplomatique

The monthly publication Le Monde diplomatique (nicknamed "Le Diplo" by its French readers) offers well-documented analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. Its articles are long, well-researched, scholarly, and opinionated. First created mainly for a diplomatic audience, as its name implies, it has in recent years taken a critical view on the effects of economic neoliberalism on the world and its population. It thus engages in advocacy journalism, although its analysis and articles, because of their seriousness and accuracy, are still read by scholars and people on the entire political spectrum. Since the 1970s, its editorial line has become decidedly altermondialist and left-wing. Throughout the cold war, it had a neutralist viewpoint, often critical of US foreign policy.

The original French edition has a circulation of about 350,000; sixteen editions in other languages bring the total to about 1.4 million readers worldwide. Le Monde diplomatique's readers own 49% of the company through L'association des Amis du Monde diplomatique; the remaining 51% is owned by the French daily newspaper Le Monde. The newspaper maintains its independence by limiting its dependence on advertising and through its reader-owned capital - "minorité de blocage" (control stock). Jean-Marie Colombani, editor of the daily, was attributed by Bernard Cassen as saying: "Le Monde diplomatique is a journal of opinion; Le Monde is a journal of opinions." ^*

Le Diplo has been sometimes criticized for the quantity and nature of the published advertisements. In November and December 2003 2-page advertisements by IBM and a car manufacturer were placed. The issues of February and March 2004 contained advertisements by Microsoft in a 'social' atmosphere with a picture of children, which led to irritation with free software activists.

One editorial written in 1997 by Ignacio Ramonet, its editor-in-chief, led to the creation of the ATTAC NGO, which was originally founded for advocacy of the Tobin tax. Another editorial from Ramonet coined the term "pensée unique" ("single thought") to describe the supremacy of the neoliberalism ideology. ^* It now supports a variety of left-wing causes.

Controversy

The Norwegian version of the July 2006 Le Monde Diplomatique sparked worldwide interest and controversy when they ran a three page main story on the 9/11 attacks and raised the question of US Government complicity. (Le Monde Diplo, July 2006), (US coverage) (DailyKos) (Russian coverage). (Translations can be found on ThankYouLeMonde)

References

On the Attack: interview with Bernard Cassen by New Left Review on ATTAC and Le Monde diplomatique

External links

French newspapers

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Controversy

References

External links