About The Local France
The Local’s goal is to give you all the news and essential information you need about France. Whether you are a foreign resident, a frequent visitor, someone with family in France or are planning a move to the country, our aim is to provide what you need.
Because The Local is staffed by people who have set up lives abroad, we have a keen understanding of the challenges our readers face and we work closely with our members in France to bring you the stories and practical tips that really matter.
The Local was founded in 2004 and we now have a team of dedicated journalists on the ground in nine countries. In 2018 we launched membership and in 2021 we were thrilled to reach a milestone of 50,000 paying members. This support means everything to us and makes us more determined than ever to continue investing in our award-winning independent journalism.
Meet The Local Team

James Savage
CEO & PublisherJames moved to Sweden from the UK at the start of the millennium and was a co-founder of The Local in 2004.

Ben McPartland
Managing EditorBen comes from the UK and became the first editor of The Local France in 2013. He now heads the editorial team from Paris.

Emma Löfgren
Deputy Managing Editor & Editor, The Local SwedenEmma returned to her native Sweden and joined The Local in 2015 after an eight-year stint in Scotland.

Emma Pearson
Editor, The Local FranceOriginally from Yorkshire in the UK, Emma worked as content editor at the Lancashire Evening Post before moving to France. She joined The Local as France editor in 2019.

Genevieve Mansfield
Journalist, The Local FranceGenevieve grew up in the Washington, DC area in the US. She moved to France to teach English at two middle schools outside of Paris. She recently completed her Master’s degree in Journalism and International Affairs at Sciences Po.

John Lichfield
ColumnistA former foreign editor and France correspondent at The Independent, John is a regular columnist and one of the foremost experts on France writing in English.

James Harrington
ContributorJames is a freelance journalist who moved from northern England to southwest France in May 2009.