Connect with us

France

French Sunday newspaper on strike over fears of far-right turn

SHARE:

Published

3 years ago

on

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

France’s flagship Sunday newspaper, Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), was not published last Sunday (25 June) after its staff went on strike to protest against the nomination of a new editor-in-chief who worked for a far-right magazine.

The newspaper’s owner, French media group Lagardere (LAGA.PA), on Friday (23 June) named Geoffroy Lejeune as JDD's new editor-in-chief, succeeding Jerome Begle who left for Paris Match.

Lejeune is the former head of magazine Valeurs Actuelles, which has courted controversy with anti-immigrant covers and was fined for racist insult in 2022.

The move comes just two weeks after the European Commission gave a conditional green light to the acquisition of Lagardere by Vivendi (VIV.PA) the media conglomerate controlled by French billionaire Vincent Bollore.

The company already owns news channel CNews, which has taken a conservative turn since Bollore took control. Anti-immigration and hardline law-and-order comments made by some of its talk show hosts regularly inflame social media, drawing comparisons with US channel Fox News.

On Sunday, the French government weighed in for the first time.

"I understand the newsroom’s concerns. Legally speaking, the JDD can become whatever it wants, as long as it abides by the law. But as far as our Republic’s values are concerned, how can one not be alarmed?" French culture minister Rima Abdul Malak said on Twitter.

Advertisement

The head of international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders denounced what he said was a "brutal method" to assert shareholder control over the newsroom that contradicted "the basic rules of journalism".

In a statement, Arnaud Lagardere said Geoffroy Lejeune was a "raw talent of journalism" that he could not pass up.

Vivendi was not immediately available for comment.

Lejeune said he was "honoured" to lead a prestigious publication like the JDD.

The JDD editorial association said in a statement it was "stunned" by Lejeune’s nomination. "Under Geoffroy Lejeune, Valeurs Actuelles spread hateful attacks and fake news. We refuse that the JDD follows this path."

Share this article:

Share this:
Related Topics:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
Advertisement

Trending