at Europe 1, unease around Cyril Hanouna’s new show

“This super divisive choice was imposed on us.” The arrival on Europe 1 of the show “We walk on the head“, hosted by Cyril Hanouna to replace the section hosted by Sophie Davant, was done without prior consultation of the main interested party. Nor of the editorial staff and staff authorities.

Thus, the social and economic committee (CSE) of Europe 1 did not receive “information consultation“as is customary:”We were taken as traitors. This super divisive choice was imposed on us.” summarizes an experienced journalist from the channel who, like all the people we interviewed, wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. “There has been a lot of unease for several months and even more since the arrival of Cyril Hanouna,” she specifies.

“The day it went on air, several people confided to me their desire to leave the radio. We have the impression of a silent and global resignation from management.”

A journalist from Europe 1

at franceinfo

The journalist, well informed, specifies: “This choice was obviously imposed from above. Since the takeover bid in November by Vincent Bolloré, Europe 1 is not a limited partnership, they only apply what they are asked to do. There’s no more captain in the boat, or he’s on Vivendi’s side.”

In the middle of the legislative campaign, the arrival of Cyril Hanouna therefore surprised an editorial staff mainly made up of young journalists, but aware of the profound ideological shift of their channel in recent months. Deciding to leave before the start of the school year, a journalist describes the day of Cyril Hanouna’s arrival at Europe 1 as a “black Monday” for a whole part of the editorial staff. “It was the last strawhe explains to franceinfo. The day Cyril arrived was difficult for everyone. It really was a funeral atmosphere. It’s a word chosen because that’s really what we said to each other. We really had the impression of burying Europe 1 and what this media was before. We have really become accustomed to having right-wing, even far-right, treatment of the news, from chosen, dishonest, diverted angles. We were used to it. But there, we were faced with two hours of information in a completely ideological program, a complete caricature“, he denounces.

While the audience results for Cyril Hanouna’s new show seem to be booming according to several sources within the channel, part of the editorial team seems, on the contrary, to be experiencing an existential crisis. Last Thursday, one of the channel’s freelance journalists sent a general email to his colleagues to announce the end of his collaboration. Franceinfo was able to consult this letter.

“In total disagreement with the editorial line of Europe 1 in recent weeks (and even more in recent days), I am ending my collaboration with the radio (…) Providing objective information, with a concern for contradiction, has always dictated my action on the ground, and it appears to me today that this requirement is no longer respected, whether in the reporting orders (or the angles requested) and, even more generally, on the air . However, this should be a necessity not only at all times, but even more so in these troubled times politically, socially, ecologically, economically and diplomatically speaking.“

“Continuing to hold out my microphone, as if nothing had happened, to people who still have the image of Europe 1 as a general media outlet annoys me because this is, in my opinion, no longer the case and It’s a lack of honesty towards them.”

A journalist who resigned from Europe 1

in a letter consulted by franceinfo

In just a few days of investigation, a certain number of Europe 1 employees spontaneously expressed to franceinfo their desire to leave the editorial staff. Beyond Cyril Hanouna’s show, these freelancers or holders have been talking about a tough editorial shift since last September that no longer cares about contradiction and filters out topics that do not respond to “markers” from management.

“Reporters must propose subjects ‘in line’, assures one of these journalists. In the morning note (internal document which allows liaison between the different editorial departments, editor’s note), we call this ‘our markers’. Clearly, we are asked to look at social facts especially linked to immigration… These are often news items committed by illegal immigrants, S files. Politically, we are, for example, forbidden to qualify the RN or Reconquest far-right party. On the other hand, LFI East far left”he tells franceinfo.

According to several sources within the editorial staff, the editorial shift imposed in recent months on the channel’s editors is a basic fact of the unease felt by part of the editorial staff. “Whether in the subjects and angles chosendescribes a journalist-reporter tempted to leave Europe 1, there is a real emphasis given to ‘the line’. This is the word constantly repeated by the hierarchy. Namely, news items or subjects that concern the right-wing electorate”.

Requested by franceinfo, the management of Europe 1 did not respond at this time to our questions concerning its recent formal notice by the Audiovisual Regulatory Authority. “OWe feel that we have passed a level and we are completely abandoned by ARCOM”, reacts a journalist from the channel for whom the media policeman is absolutely not playing his role in the middle of the legislative campaign. Wednesday June 19, during the last meeting of the CSE of Europe 1, Cyril Hanouna’s new show was discussed in the presence of its general director, Donat Vidal-Revel.

According to information from franceinfo, far from being called into question, the presence of the star host would have been considered as a “option” of the start of the school year to boost the audience of the channel which has been losing momentum in recent years. If some of the channel’s journalists and collaborators are tempted to leave the channel, many are obviously forced by their economic situation, the depressed market of the press, but also the special status of Europe 1. Indeed, within Lagardère News, the channel is legally considered as a press agency and its journalists are not eligible for the conscience or transfer clause which would allow them to negotiate their departure more easily.