Newspapers of Algeria: Arabic and French dailies and online media

The Algerian press brings together Arabic-language dailies such as El Khabar and Echorouk, French-language titles such as El Moudjahid and Le Soir d'Algérie, the APS agency and sites such as TSA, in Arabic, French and Tamazight, mostly free online.

From L'Écho d'Alger to the 1990 opening

Under colonial rule, L'Écho d'Alger was aimed mainly at Europeans. El Moudjahid was born in 1956 as the FLN's wartime mouthpiece. The information law of April 1990 then opened the way to a private press, with El Watan and El Khabar.

The major dailies and their editorial lines

El Moudjahid, a state-owned French-language daily, faithfully relays the official line. El Khabar, founded in 1990, made its name with investigations. Echorouk and Ennahar, widely read, favour national news, society and crime. El Bilad rounds out the Arabic offer with an affiliated channel.

Arabic, French and Tamazight: three press languages

Arabic dominates circulation, but French keeps a large readership, especially in Algiers, Oran and Béjaïa. Tamazight, an official language since 2016, is present in APS wire reports and on Chaîne 2 of public radio.

Oran and Constantine: where to read the regional press?

Le Quotidien d'Oran, founded in 1994, remains tied to the west of the country, as does El Djoumhouria, a state daily based in Oran. In the east, An-Nasr covers Constantine and its region. The big Algiers newsrooms also keep bureaus in the wilayas.

TSA, Algérie360 and digital news

Online-only sites have grown steadily. TSA Algérie covers politics and the economy in French, while Algérie360 aggregates news widely followed by the diaspora. Print papers rely on their apps and Facebook pages, the main point of access for many Algerians.

APS, the official agency since 1961

Algérie Presse Service, created in 1961, issues wire reports in Arabic, French, English and Tamazight. It is the source of statements from the presidency, ministries and the army, and many public and private newspapers reproduce its texts word for word.

Algerian radio and public television

Algerian Radio includes Chaîne 1 in Arabic, Chaîne 2 in Tamazight, Chaîne 3 in French and local wilaya stations. Public television EPTV runs several channels, competing with popular private channels such as Ennahar TV and Echorouk TV.

Following Algeria from France

The Algerian community in France reads Algerian websites but also French media, which regularly cover relations between Paris and Algiers. Our selection of the French press online helps compare the two perspectives on the same event.

Economy, hydrocarbons and football

The Algerian economy is tracked by TSA, the APS and the business pages of the dailies, with constant attention to Sonatrach, hydrocarbons and the dinar exchange rate. Football, from the Fennecs to the national league, takes up much space, especially in the Arabic sports press.

What framework governs journalism?

An organic law on information was adopted in 2023, following the one from 2012. Several titles have disappeared in recent years, such as the daily Liberté in 2022. Press freedom organisations regularly document prosecutions targeting journalists.

Comparing with the rest of the Maghreb

Cross-border issues, from gas to Western Sahara, are best read by comparing several countries. Our Maghreb press hub leads to the Tunisian press and the Moroccan press, whose editorial lines often differ on these regional questions.

Paywalls, e-paper editions and cross-checking

Most Algerian websites remain free, funded by advertising, often partly public through ANEP. Some dailies sell their PDF edition. For a sensitive story, compare a state title, a private title and the APS wire report before drawing conclusions.

Reading Algerian news from abroad

1. Pick an Arabic-language daily such as El Khabar and a French-language title such as Le Soir d'Algérie to cross-check approaches.
2. Add APS wire reports to know the official version of government and presidential decisions.
3. Follow TSA Algérie for the economy, hydrocarbons and the dinar's movements against the euro.
4. Listen to Chaîne 3 of Algerian Radio online for a spoken news bulletin in French.
5. Turn on notifications from Echorouk or Ennahar for rolling news, while keeping a critical eye on catchy headlines.
6. Check the date of every article: many old stories circulate on Algerian social media.

Access to Algerian newspapers online

Landmarks for navigating the Algerian press

• Languages: Arabic, French, Tamazight
• National agency: Algérie Presse Service (APS)
• Public broadcasting: Algerian Radio and EPTV
• Reference state daily: El Moudjahid
• Time zone: UTC+1, no daylight saving time
• Currency: Algerian dinar (DZD)
• Regions to know: Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Kabylie, the Saharan south

Common pitfalls in the Algerian press

• Mistaking fake accounts imitating Echorouk or Ennahar on social media for the official pages of these outlets.
• Reading an article from Liberté or another defunct title as if it were recent news.
• Treating an APS wire report picked up by several newspapers as so many independent confirmations.
• Forgetting that the dinar has two rates, official and parallel, which changes how quoted economic figures should be read.
• Taking a private channel's video, reposted without context on YouTube or TikTok, as verified information.

Your queries about Algerian newspapers