A new twist on the free press: France to offer every teen a complimentary newspaper subscription

U.S. newspapers are facing declining readership and advertising, and much of that is due to the emergence of new media and the fact that kids don't tend to read physical newspapers.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has offered to give every French teen a free sub to a newspaper of their choice, according to this story.

Sarkozy announced a number of initiatives to bolster the press, according to the article.

"The habit of reading the press takes hold at a very young age," Sarkozy said.

The president said the newspapers themselves would provide free copies for 18-year-olds, while the state would cover the cost of delivering them to many thousands of homes.

In addition to the free paper scheme, Sarkozy announced plans to double the government's budget for buying advertising in the press, a freeze on the cost of postal distribution and a reduction in payroll taxes for newsagents.

I'm not in favor of massive U.S. subsidies for teen newspaper readership. However, I do think it would be smart for U.S. metropolitan dailies to offer a free subscription to teens in order to boost their ranks of future readers. It's called a loss-leader, and it might not be a bad idea if newspapers want to keep from losing.