Girardin, Emile de (1806–1881)

French politician, journalist, and legislator who founded the Presse in 1836, one of the first cheap and popular newspapers. Attacks on this led to a duel in which Girardin killed Armand Carrel, editor of the National.

Girardin was born in Paris. Till the revolution of 1848 Girardin was occupied with politics, gradually becoming a decided Republican. In 1866 he left the Presse to direct the Liberte, in which he wrote vehemently against Prussia and voted for war (1870). His first wife was Delphine Gay (1804–55), who wrote ‘Lettres parisiennes’ under the pseudonym ‘Vicomte de Launay’, in the Presse (1836–47).