During the 1980s, Pratte worked at radio station CKAC in Montreal. He switched from the airwaves to the written press in 1986. Succeeding Alain Dubuc, he became Editor-in-Chief of La Presse in 2001, defending the federalist and fiscally centre-right political stance of the paper. In 2005, Pratte was among the group who signed the manifesto "For a clear-eyed vision of Quebec", better known by the French title "Pour un Québec lucide" and critical of the social democratic so-called Quebec Model. Criticized by some sovereigntists, he has defended his neutrality and has claimed in the book Aux pays des merveilles to be a soft-nationalist and have a soft-sovereigntist past (with claims of YES votes in both 1980 and 1995 Quebec referendums).

He published a number of books at VLB éditeur. The first, Le Syndrome de Pinocchio discussed a lying "syndrome" in politicians and was the subject of a censure motion from the National Assembly of Quebec in 1997. He also published a biography of the future Premier of Quebec Jean Charest under the title L'Énigme Charest in 1997, drawing a paradoxical portrait of the man. He would redirect his criticism upon his own journalistic profession in Les Oiseaux de malheur in 2000.

Pratte edited Reconquerir le Canada ... un nouveau projet pour la nation québécoise (Reconquering Canada: Quebec Federalists Speak Up for Change), a book of essays by several prominent Quebecers to better promote federalism in the province. The authors stated they want Quebec to have a greater role within the federation. Pratte said the province must be better linked with other provinces and that Quebecers must serve on bodies of the federal government. To make progress, Quebecers must change their view of federalism and Canada, and their perception of being a victim, which does not correspond with experience. The book counts 14 authors from various political affiliations: André Pratte, Daniel Fournier, Jean Leclair, Benoît Pelletier, Marie Bernard-Meunier, Patrice Ryan et Frédéric Bérard, François Pratte, Martin Cauchon, Pierre Gerlier-Forest, Hervé Rivet and Fabrice Rivault, Marc Garneau, Mathieu Laberge. [1]