Nikos Smyrnaios, a social sciences researcher at the University of Toulouse, has analyzed the media coverage of the protests against the cost of living in France during October 2026. By reviewing 1271 articles, he found that mainstream media disproportionately focused on acts of vandalism and violence, effectively sidelining the core social and political demands of the protesters. Smyrnaios notes that authorities used the term "urban violence" to strip the protests of their political significance. He further argues that highlighting youth from immigrant backgrounds serves as a scapegoat, aligning with far-right narratives. However, the researcher suggests that the effectiveness of this framing is limited by the public's widespread distrust of mainstream media and the persistent urgency of economic issues such as purchasing power.