The economics of free newspapers: the business value of banal cosmopolitanism in the city of flows

ABSTRACT

A new phase of print capitalism was launched at the transition from the twentieth to the twenty-first century with the appearance of free dailies circulated in the large cities of the Western world. The market performance of this form of press depends strongly on the non-price quality of its news, which is produced for and used by a public that accepts its reading will be interrupted by adverts. However, what are the socio-cultural frames within which this non-price quality is defined? The current article explores the value of “banal cosmopolitanism” as a driving force of this non-price quality. The investigation is based on a case study of the newspaper L’essentiel in Luxembourg.

KEYWORDS:

• Free daily press
• cities
• banal cosmopolitanism
• advertising
• mobility

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This article is written within the framework of the “CECCUT” Jean Monnet Network sponsored by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union (2018-2021). http://www.ceccut.eu/en/home/Reference number: 599614-EPP-1-2018-1-LU-EPPJMO-NETWORK.The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein.

Notes on contributors

Christian Lamour

Christian Lamour is a researcher in urban, cultural, and border studies at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). He is also a research associate at the Information and Communication Sciences Department of the University of Lorraine in France, the CREM and a full member of the Observatory of Regional Politics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. His research topics include spatial policies, governance strategies, cultural practices, and bordering processes in European metropolitan regions. One of his areas of interest is media production/reception and its role in the definition of territoriality within metropolises. He also pays attention to the representation of mobility within Schengen Europe in the current context of right-wing populism and border securitization.

Nathalie Lorentz

Nathalie Lorentz is a quantitative research analyst in health and cultural studies at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER). She is particularly interested in social inequalities related to health conditions. Her research topics also includes extended analyses on cultural practices in Luxembourg with a focus on the use of mass media (press, television…).