In the early nineteenth century, the French press was more a press of opinion than a press of information. Of course, the press reported news,  but the main interest was to promote a viewpoint and to give meaning to events according to that viewpoint. Since the essential goal was to "express, defend, and spread an opinion," the readership was relatively small and was limited to those who shared the same views.1 Unlike English papers, French newspapers could be sold only by subscription and not by single  issues. Only in the mid-1830's did this situation change with the introduction of a cheaper, more entertaining press by Emile Girardin, whose aim  was "publicity of deeds and not polemic of ideas."

An example of the press of opinion was L'Ami de la religion et du roi: Journal ecclesiastique, politique et litteraire established in Paris after the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Although L'Ami was neither man dated nor authorized by the French bishops, it became the foremost Catholic paper until the mid-1840's and the rise of VUnivers under Louis veuillot. LAmi is a valuable source for understanding French Catholicism during the half-century after Napoleon. It was involved in the issues of the day not only because of its contents (e.g., pointing out government encroachment on religion, advocating freedom of education, supporting a moderate Gallicanism, and discussing the role of the press) but also because of its own history and evolution from an almost official ecclesiastical newspaper to a moderately liberal in L'Univers paper.