The Lagardère group announced on Friday the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, 34, as editorial director of the JDD, in the midst of a strike by its teams, opposed to the arrival of the far-right journalist, freshly landed from the weekly Valeurs Actuelles .
Geoffroy Lejeune succeeds Jérôme Béglé, himself appointed managing director of the editorial staff of Paris Match, another title of the Lagardère group, whose absorption by Vivendi, the group of ultra-conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has just been authorized by Brussels . A decision made official when the JDD will not appear on Sunday, almost all of its editorial staff having decided on Friday to continue the strike launched the day before to contest what was then only the possible arrival at its head of the far-right journalist .
No JDD this Sunday
The editorial staff voted 96% (81 for, three against, three who did not decide) “in favor of continuing the strike” until Saturday 5:30 p.m., announced the society of journalists (SDJ) of the Sunday newspaper in a statement. As a result, Sunday’s edition will not appear, two journalists told AFP.
The staff of the Sunday newspaper (JDD) had decided on Thursday to go on strike to disputing the Lejeune rumor, advanced by the newspaper Le Monde. If the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune “were to be confirmed, it would be, beyond the provocation and the demonstration that the far right is now quietly establishing itself in the media, a betrayal for all of the editorial staff and readers. “, Thus estimated Friday on Twitter Alain Genestar, editorial director of the JDD from 1987 to 1999, now at the head of Polka Magazine.
A bloodletting at ITélé to be expected?
“Bolloré is a specialist in ax cutting in the media which he buys (…) remember ITélé”, which became CNews after being emptied of its editorial staff, tweeted the secretary general of Reporters without borders, Christophe Deloire.
“We will mobilize as much as possible to avoid journalistic carnage at the JDD”, he continued, wishing “courage to his journalists who defend their editorial independence and the honesty of information”. Many left-wing personalities were also worried about a possible turn to the right of the newspaper, a perspective welcomed by far-right personalities, on the other hand.