French Sunday newspaper on strike over fears of far-right turn
25/06/2023 11:55
By Michel Rose
PARIS, June 25 (Reuters) - France’s flagship Sunday
newspaper, Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), was not published this
Sunday 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 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 U.S. 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.
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."
(Reporting by Michel Rose, additional reporting by Juliette
Jabkhiro; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
((Juliette.Jabkhiro@thomsonreuters.com;))