Editing Magazine (section)

===France===
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{{main|History of French journalism|History of journalism}}
[[File:GazettedeFrance.jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|right|''[[La Gazette (France)|La Gazette]]'', 26 December 1786]]
Under the [[Ancien Régime]], the most prominent magazines were {{Lang|fr|[[Mercure de France]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[Journal des sçavans]]}}, founded in 1665 for scientists, and {{Lang|fr|[[La Gazette (France)|Gazette de France]]}}, founded in 1631. [[Jean Loret]] was one of France's first journalists. He disseminated the weekly news of music, dance and Parisian society from 1650 until 1665 in verse, in what he called a ''gazette burlesque'', assembled in three volumes of ''La Muse historique'' (1650, 1660, 1665). The French press lagged a generation behind the British, for they catered to the needs of the aristocracy, while the newer British counterparts were oriented toward the middle and working classes.<ref>Botein, Stephen; Censer, Jack R. & Ritvo, Harriet. "The periodical press in eighteenth-century English and French society: a cross-cultural approach." ''Comparative Studies in Society and History'' 23#3 (1981): 464–490.</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2025}}

Periodicals were censored by the central government in [[Paris]]. They were not totally quiescent politically—often they criticized Church abuses and bureaucratic ineptitude. They supported the monarchy and they played at most a small role in stimulating the revolution.<ref>{{cite book|first = Jack |last = Censer|isbn =  9781134861606 |title = The French press in the age of Enlightenment|date = 2002|publisher = Taylor & Francis}}{{full citation needed|date=January 2025}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2025}} During the Revolution, new periodicals played central roles as propaganda organs for various factions. [[Jean-Paul Marat]] (1743–1793) was the most prominent editor. His ''[[L'Ami du peuple]]'' advocated vigorously for the rights of the lower classes against the enemies of the people Marat hated; it closed when he was assassinated. After 1800 Napoleon reimposed strict censorship.<ref>Darnton, Robert & Roche, Daniel, eds., ''Revolution in Print: the Press in France, 1775–1800'' (1989).{{full citation needed|date=January 2025}}<!--CHAPTER AUTHOR? CHAPTER OF BOOK? ISBN? URL? WP:VERIFY CALLS FOR NARROW PAGE RANGES OF BOOKS.--></ref>{{page needed|date=January 2025}}

Magazines flourished after Napoleon left in 1815. Most were based in Paris and most emphasized literature, poetry and stories. They served religious, cultural and political communities. In times of political crisis they expressed and helped shape the views of their readership and thereby were major elements in the changing political culture.<ref>[[Keith Michael Baker]], et al., ''The French Revolution and the Creation of Modern Political Culture: The transformation of the political culture, 1789–1848'' (1989).{{full citation needed|date=January 2025}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2025}} For example, there were eight Catholic periodicals in 1830 in Paris. None were officially owned or sponsored by the Church and they reflected a range of opinion among educated Catholics about current issues, such as the 1830 July Revolution that overthrew the Bourbon monarchy. Several were strong supporters of the Bourbon kings, but all eight ultimately urged support for the new government, putting their appeals in terms of preserving civil order. They often discussed the relationship between church and state. Generally, they urged priests to focus on spiritual matters and not engage in politics. Historian M. Patricia Dougherty says this process created a distance between the Church and the new monarch and enabled Catholics to develop a new understanding of church-state relationships and the source of political authority.<ref>Dougherty, M. Patricia. "The French Catholic press and the July Revolution." ''French History'' 12#4 (1998): 403–428.</ref>{{primary source inline|date = January 2025}}