The sale of newspapers has fallen in France, with television and internet steadily replacing the printed words as the main source of news. With this, newspaper vendors have become a dying breed in Paris. However, a person continues to sell broadsheets in the French capital in the 21st Century.

Ali Akbar, a 73-year-old newspaper vendor originally from Pakistan’s Rawalpindi, has been hawking newspapers in Paris since 1973, employing a blend of humour and energy to charm locals and ward off falling sales. After more than 50 years of selling dailies on the terraces of cafes and restaurants in the fashionable Latin Quarter of Paris, he is all set to receive the L’Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit), one of the most prestigious honours of France. In September 2025, President Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron will bestow the honour on Ali Akbar for his remarkable dedication in supplying newspapers for more than five decades.

Ali Akbar has handed over popular dailies, like Charlie Hebdo and Le Monde, to thousands of people so far. It seems that he has developed a deep spiritual bond with the print media. Hence, he has stuck to his profession, in spite of the digitisation of news. Ali has stressed that he prefers physical print over digital news, saying: “I just love the feel of paper.“

Upon his arrival in France in 1973, Ali started his journey by selling Charlie Hebdo to students near the Sorbonne. By that time, kerb-side newspaper sellers were already in decline. Apart from selling papers, he has also been entertaining readers with his sense of humour. It is his own style of selling dailies. “I have a certain way of selling newspapers. I try to make jokes. So, people laugh. I try to be positive and I create an atmosphere… I try to get into people’s hearts, not their pockets,” Ali told Reuters.

Meanwhile, Ali Akbar has admitted that his job has become much harder in the era of digital publishing. “I sell about 20 copies of Le Monde in eight hours. Everything is digital now. People just don’t buy newspapers,” he stated. Despite such challenges, the Pakistani national has expressed hope that he would sell newspapers as long as his health permits.

Ali Akbar is well aware of the fact that the television and internet have replaced the print media in the 21st Century. The high-end fashion boutiques and eateries, too, have replaced the bookstores that once nourished some of the world’s most renowned 20th Century philosophers. Still, he has kept newspapers alive on the streets of Paris. “I don’t like tablets and all that kind of stuff. But I do like reading. Whatever the type. Real books. But never on screens,” he stressed.

According to locals, Ali is one of the things that keeps the Latin Quarter genuine. Marie-Laure Carriere, one of his grateful customers, has said: “Ali is an institution. I buy Le Monde from him every day. In fact, we do a little more than buy Le Monde for him. We have coffee with him, sometimes we have lunch with him.”

It may be noted that the National Order of Merit, established by President Charles de Gaulle on December 3, 1963, recognises distinguished service to France in a civilian or military capacity. It is awarded by the President of the French Republic for prominent military or civil achievements. While primarily for French citizens, the National Order of Merit can also be conferred upon foreign nationals. It is an honorary distinction that does not come with any material or financial benefits. Recipients receive a patent, signed by the President, and the decoration of the order.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das