The ASPDH, owner association of the group Sipa West-France (shareholder of 20 Minutes), organized this Thursday a working day on independence with 200 employees. Interview with its president, David Guiraud.
On April 10, 1990, on the initiative of its CEO François Régis Hutin, Ouest-France was placed under the protection of a non-profit association under the 1901 law. Why this decision?
The context of the time was turbulent. Robert Hersant took control of regional and national newspapers. The shareholding of the Ouest-France group was dispersed. François Régis Hutin felt that the independence of the newspaper had to be vigorously defended. Hence the creation of a non-profit association, the Association for the Support of the Principles of Humanist Democracy (ASPDH), which took over ownership of the group from the historic shareholders. This association having no capital, the group therefore sheltered itself from any capitalistic attack.
Thirty-three years later, the ASPDH owns the Sipa group. Who constitutes the association?
It is made up of 59 members from all walks of life, all aligned with our values: journalist, scientist, writer, sociologist, ambassador, lawyer, architect, business men and women, farmer… This diversity of experience and points of view is the strength and richness of the association. Because it is not only a legal vehicle, it is also a living organ of governance in a world undergoing profound transformation. It carries, and this is its greatest capital, a base of summarized values in a charter and a mission “To enlighten, inform, connect citizens to advance the common good while respecting everyone’s dignity”.
It is in the name of these values that our independence is made.
What is his role ?
Firstly, a control function: control of the economic sustainability of the group, of which it is the guarantor. We do not pay any dividends, all the money we earn is reinvested in the company to ensure its development. We must therefore be profitable. It is a virtuous system.
Then an inspiration function: from our base of values, to inspire all the strategies of the Sipa group. Crucial challenges await us (climatic, societal, political, health, geopolitical, etc.). This requires constant reflection by the association based on our mission, in dialogue with the editorial staff and all the group’s employees. Within the framework of this charter, each editorial staff is independent.
Independence is demanding, especially financially. If the economic context is tense, how do you intend to resist?
The group is profitable and has financial reserves, but it is not enough. One of our subsidiaries, Sofiouest, is an investment fund which aims to take shares in future activities and constitute a potential financial reserve. If necessary, we can call on these reserves in the future.
The activities in which Sofiouest invests are of all kinds. However, they are chosen on the basis of precise criteria which correspond to the values of the group.
On Wednesday in Rennes, you brought together 200 employees of the Sipa group for a working day on media independence. Why such an initiative ?
Worldwide, the most successful groups are those whose core business is information. And in their fundamentals, the number one lever is independence. Even more in a growing environment of fake news and uncontrolled social networks. Who speaks? What freedom of conscience? Independence will be more and more important in the years to come. It is the condition of trust. Our association wants to carry this conviction. It was important to discuss it.
The major challenges for the future are not lacking. You mention the climate and Democracy…
The climate is a priority issue. The journalists of Ouest-France have published a charter, a remarkable commitment on this subject, a natural extension of our charter.
The democratic challenge is just as important. What will happen if the press collapses? We will leave room for platforms, social networks, actors who have no legal responsibility, no editorial line, no moderation system. No way to know who is speaking, and if what is said and written is verified…
We have a major role to play in this context, particularly on the issue of the quality of information. We must protect the facts, what social networks and the digital system are undermining every day. And with the arrival of artificial intelligence, our responsibility to defend democracy is all the more essential.
Readers expect us on what points?
We have to fight on three fronts. 1) Independence. 2) confidence, which is the consequence of independence. 3) Power, which is the consequence of the first two. In the digital world, faced with platforms, you will have to be powerful. This is why our group is developing its platforms considerably.