Making Teenagers Read Newspapers. A Nationwide Experiment in French High Schools

A randomized trial in 243 French high schools (9,628 students) tested a free digital subscription to the leading national newspaper, media-education modules, or both during 2024-25. The subscription raised news consumption by 0.49–0.60 SD and boosted paid subscriptions by 8 percentage points after a year, while media education increased news knowledge by 0.20–0.31 SD in deprived schools, cutting information gaps by 45–70% and improving media-literacy skills by 0.08–0.26 SD, especially with experienced teachers.