Regis Debray is a French intellectual, journalist, government official, professor.

Friend of Che Guevara as a young man in the 1960s, later wrote a book entitled Revolution in the Revolution? . This book critiqued the tactical and strategic doctrines then prevailing among militant socialist movements in Latin America. When Guevara was captured in Bolivia (1967), Debray (also in Bolivia at the time) was imprisoned, convicted of having been part of Guevara's group, but released (1970) after an international campaign for his release which included Jean-Paul Sartre and Andre Malraux.

Became foreign affairs advisor (or minister?) to Francois Mitterrand after the latter was elected president of France in 1981. In this capacity he developed a policy that sought to increase France's freedom of action in the world, decrease dependence on the United States, and promote closeness with the former colonies (?). He was also involved in the development of the government's official ceremonies and recognition of the bicentennial of the French Revolution.

Founder of the "discipline" of médiologie or "mediology ", which attempts to scientifically study mass media and power.

Recently notorious in the news for having come out in favor of the French ban on headscarves for female Muslim students in the public schools.