PRESSETAHITI.COM
Quebec newspapers and news from Montreal to Quebec City
In Quebec, news is mostly read in French in La Presse, Le Devoir, Le Journal de Montréal and Le Soleil, in English in the Montreal Gazette, and heard on ICI Radio-Canada, TVA Nouvelles or Noovo Info, all widely available online.
From the 1778 Gazette to modern Quebec dailies
The Quebec press goes back to the Montreal Gazette, founded in 1778 by Fleury Mesplet. The nineteenth century saw La Presse appear in 1884 and Le Soleil in 1896, before Henri Bourassa launched Le Devoir in 1910 as a nationalist, independent project.
La Presse, Le Devoir and Le Journal: three styles
La Presse, now free in digital form and run by a non-profit structure, targets a broad Montreal readership. Le Devoir favours analysis and the debate of ideas. Le Journal de Montréal, owned by Québecor, takes a popular tone with a strong focus on crime stories.
French first, English in Montreal
French dominates the media landscape, framed by the Charter of the French Language. The English-speaking community reads the Montreal Gazette and listens to CBC Montreal. For a continental comparison, the United States press offers a useful counterpoint on cross-border issues.
Which Quebec dailies cover the regions?
Outside Montreal, Le Soleil covers the Capitale-Nationale, Le Droit the Outaouais, La Tribune the Eastern Townships and Le Nouvelliste the Mauricie. Grouped into cooperatives since 2020, these papers have dropped weekday print in favour of digital editions and apps.
Apps, podcasts and newsletters in Quebec
The big groups are betting on mobile: the La Presse+ app, Québecor's QUB platform and Radio-Canada podcasts. Since August 2023, Meta has blocked news links on Facebook and Instagram in Canada, which pushes readers towards email newsletters.
The Canadian Press, the country's shared wire
The Canadian Press, a cooperative founded in 1917, supplies newsrooms across the country in French and English. Its French-language wire, written in Montreal, covers the National Assembly in Quebec City and the courts, and often serves as the primary source.
ICI Radio-Canada, Télé-Québec and private channels
The federal public broadcaster ICI Radio-Canada offers television, radio, the rolling news channel ICI RDI and the ICI Info website. Télé-Québec, the provincial public channel, focuses on education and culture. TVA, owned by Québecor, and Noovo, owned by Bell Media, complete the picture.
Montreal's cultural community media
Montreal is home to a community press in Italian, Arabic, Spanish and Creole. The city's Haitian radio stations relay news from Port-au-Prince, connecting with the Haitian press online and its large diaspora in Quebec, which follows events back home closely.
Les Affaires, RDS and the passion for hockey
The magazine Les Affaires and the business section of La Presse follow the Caisse de dépôt, Hydro-Québec and the Toronto Stock Exchange. In sport, RDS and TVA Sports dominate, with the Montreal Canadiens at the heart of winter coverage.
Press freedom and newsroom funding in Quebec
Quebec enjoys a free press protected by the Canadian Charter. Debate focuses mainly on media concentration around Québecor and on tax credits for journalistic payroll, introduced by Quebec City and Ottawa to support newsrooms financially.
Le Devoir behind a paywall, La Presse for free
Le Devoir and the Québecor titles require a subscription after a few articles, while La Presse remains free thanks to donations. Readers from France will find familiar reference points by comparing with the French press on international stories.
Cross-checking a Quebec news story
To verify a piece of news, compare a Montreal daily, a regional paper and the Canadian Press wire. The National Assembly website and Quebec government press releases make it possible to confirm a bill or a ministerial announcement.
Following Quebec news from abroad
- Pick a general daily such as La Presse and an analytical paper such as Le Devoir to balance your reading.
- Add a regional daily, for example Le Soleil for Quebec City or Le Droit for Gatineau.
- Sign up for morning newsletters, since news links no longer circulate on Facebook in Canada.
- Watch ICI Radio-Canada's Téléjournal or TVA Nouvelles online, bearing in mind possible geographic restrictions.
- Check the Canadian Press wire for a factual version of events.
- Always check the publication date, as Quebec political debates move fast during election periods.
Access and subscriptions for Quebec media
| Media type | Access | Note |
|---|---|---|
| La Presse and La Presse+ | Free | Funded by donations and advertising |
| Le Devoir | Paid subscription, variable price | A few free articles per month |
| Journal de Montréal and Journal de Québec | Paid digital subscription | Premium content for subscribers |
| ICI Radio-Canada and ICI Info | Free | Some programmes blocked outside Canada |
| Regional cooperative dailies | Mixed access | Prices in Canadian dollars, indicative |
Useful pointers for reading Quebec media
- Main language: French, with an English-speaking sphere in Montreal
- News agency: The Canadian Press
- Public broadcasters: ICI Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec
- Reference daily: La Presse; business title: Les Affaires
- Sport: RDS and TVA Sports
- Time zone: Eastern Time, UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 in summer
- Subscription currency: Canadian dollar
Pitfalls to avoid with Quebec media
- Mistaking an opinion columnist in Le Journal de Montréal for a factual news report, even though both appear on the same pages.
- Taking seriously a parody page that copies the La Presse or TVA Nouvelles logo to spread fake political statements.
- Sharing an undated screenshot of an article, often taken from an old Quebec or federal election campaign.
- Using sites that bypass Le Devoir's paywall, which often carry malware and breach copyright.
- Confusing Le Nouvelliste of Trois-Rivières with the Haitian daily of the same name during an online search.
Your questions about the Quebec press
Is La Presse still printed?
No. La Presse has stopped its daily print edition and now publishes on its website and in the La Presse+ app, designed for tablets. Access is free, as the paper is funded by advertising, reader donations and a non-profit trust.
Why can I no longer see Quebec news articles on Facebook?
Since August 2023, Meta has blocked news sharing in Canada in response to the Online News Act. Articles remain available directly on websites, in apps and by newsletter, but no longer through Facebook or Instagram feeds.
Can you watch Radio-Canada from Europe?
Part of ICI Radio-Canada's content, including news bulletins and radio, remains available abroad. Some series and sports broadcasts, however, are reserved for users located in Canada because of broadcasting rights.
Which paper should I read for politics in Quebec City?
Le Devoir and La Presse have parliamentary bureaus at the National Assembly, as do Le Journal de Québec and Le Soleil. Comparing two of these titles gives a balanced view of debates between the government and the opposition parties.