| Magazine Name: |
Paris Match |
| Owner: |
Lagardère Média News |
| Publisher: |
Hachette Filipacchi Médias |
| Country / Region: |
France (Paris) |
| Language: |
French |
| Format type: |
Magazine |
| Category: |
General |
| Political alignment: |
None |
| Frequency: |
Weekly |
| Publication Years (print version): |
1949 — now (74 years) |
| Publication Years (digital version): |
2009 — now (14 years) |
| ISSN: |
0397-1635 |
| Circulation: |
578,000 (2015) |
| Official Pages: |
|
| Official Apps: |
|
| Website: |
parismatch.com [read with translation] |
|
In 1926, the sports newspaper «Match the Intran» was founded in Paris, calling itself «the biggest sports weekly». The failed publication was relaunched in 1938 with a new concept. Jean Prouvot, who became the new owner of the publication, and editor Paul Gordo decided to turn it into something similar to the American magazine «Paris Match», which would reflect the French line or so to speak «match of life». The name of the magazine was soon shortened to «Match». The publication for many years became a mirror of the «beautiful» life of the French elite and celebrities: politicians, businessmen, film actors, athletes, representatives of show business. The main bet in the magazine was made on photographic materials, often received from the paparazzi. At the same time, the foundations of the Match magazine logo were laid, white letters on a red background. The slogan of the publication, by which it was known for most of its history: «Le poids des mots, le choc des photos» (Burden of words, shock of photos). In its new form, «Match» was published for a short two years and was suspended due to wartime. In 1949, the publication continued to be published with the new name «Paris Match». The magazine was incredibly popular in France in the post-war years, primarily due to its lack of direct competitors, and for the same reason its popularity began to decline in the late 1950s in the wake of the emergence of new publications.
A second wave of success awaited the magazine in the 1970s, when it was acquired by Daniel Filipacci, a photographer and surrealist art collector, and later a newspaper and magazine owner. Under his leadership, the magazine became more versatile and eventually became one of the most successful and influential publications in France. Such well-known journalists as Herve Mille, Roger Theron, and Alain Genestard worked in its editorial office at that time. The magazine reached its greatest circulation during the first flight of astronauts on the American Space Shuttle in 1985, when it sold more than a million copies. Since 1996, the publication adheres to an independent political direction. The main sections of the magazine are: Actualites (politics, economics, society, international news, Africa, sports, science, environment), People (celebrities, interviews, meetings), Royal Blog (diary of the royal families of Europe), Culture (culture), LifeStyle (lifestyle), Rétro (historical sketches).
