La Croix concretely nourishes exchanges with those who think differently, and prepares its readers for dialogue. Our study “Reading La Croix… and after? » carried out with our readers in February and March 2026 confirms this. Among them, 78% say they have used articles from the newspaper as a point of support in discussions with those around them over the last twelve months.
Furthermore, 81% of La Croix readers say they are able to dialogue with people who do not share their opinions. A third (32%) of them describe these exchanges as “constructive and enriching despite disagreements”.
“We need to talk”: the operation that thwarts polarization
The principle is simple: two strangers with opposing beliefs find themselves around a table, without trying to convince the other. Inspired by the German initiative “My Country Talks” launched by Zeit Online in 2017, the “Faut qu’on parole” operation was carried out in 2024 by La Croix and Brut, with the support of the Bayard-Agir pour une société du bond fund.
Given its success, it was renewed in 2025 with Notre Temps, La Voix du Nord, Réel Média and SNCF. A bold bet against the fragmentation of society, and one that works. For the November 2025 edition, 5,100 people registered, and 77% actually met their partner. With concrete effects: 94% of participants said they were satisfied and 78% wanted to continue contact. The exchanges, which lasted an hour and a half to two hours, are described as “benevolent”, “enriching” and “profound”.
Many say they have improved their way of listening and debating, developed a desire to meet more strangers, diversified their sources of information and sometimes changed certain habits (ecology, sociability, etc.). “‘We need to talk’ seems to do real good for human relations, by promoting exchanges and mutual understanding, thus helping to safeguard democratic vitality,” analyzes sociologist Albin Wagener. The participants confirm: “On paper, we didn’t agree on almost anything and yet we discussed our stories, our fears, our doubts… And we even had a laugh! », rejoices Alice, a participant.
When disagreement becomes conversation
The peaceful dialogue also irrigates the columns of La Croix through cross-interviews between personalities with contrasting ideas. The debate published on November 22 between the economist Jean Pisani-Ferry and the defender of “prosperous degrowth” Gabriel Malek is a good example.
Our readers praised the debaters’ efforts to find common ground. “What an interesting debate between Gabriel Malek and Jean Pisani-Ferry! Each developing their arguments according to their convictions, coming together from time to time on an idea of one or the other! », Norbert wrote to us, for example, by e-mail. Certain reader opinions, often contrary, are published in the “Debate” page of the paper newspaper.
“La Croix”, always more attentive to its readers
Readers’ mail, a pillar service of La Croix, evolved in 2025 to become a center in its own right: “Dialogue with the public”. It has three employees responsible for responding to any message within 48 hours: “It is a choice of consideration for our readers, who trust us and expect personalized feedback from us,” emphasizes Sophie Gratelle, the manager. The unit processes an average of 1,000 emails each month, around thirty handwritten letters and 4,000 comments, and certain verbatim messages feed the “mail” page published in the paper newspaper every day.
And to further strengthen this dialogue, La Croix has made two editorial meetings participatory in 2025: “The angry question” and “The case of conscience”, the subjects of which are taken from proposals formulated by the public. Furthermore, calls for testimonials are regularly sent to readers, for example as part of the “Let’s talk ecology” operation. Their feedback can be published or used for articles.
Seniors and prisoners: a report propels an unexpected conversation
A report published in July tells how the Nantes penitentiary center and the Fabrique du Nous foundation put isolated seniors in contact with prisoners, who regularly call each other to counter their shared loneliness. This article had several very positive repercussions for the Nantes prison. The national prison administration asked him for a “good practice” sheet to disseminate the initiative to other establishments.
A call center in Nantes contacted the prison to put inmates to work, with the potential for potential employment upon their release. Finally, a partnership is underway with the local municipal social action center. On the foundation’s side, the article triggered several donations on the day of its publication. “This publication gave credibility to the project,” assures co-founder Nathalie Gatellier, who now uses it to approach home service companies. Objective: multiply the number of calls by ten. The article was also attached to a funding request to the Caritas Foundation, which agreed to support the initiative in 2026.
