Vivendi, Vincent Bolloré’s group, has still not officially received approval to buy the Lagardère group, of which the weekly “Paris Match” is a part. However, a journalist, who made use of her conscience clause, today denounces the influence of the billionaire within the magazine.
For several months, part of the editorial staff of Paris Match denounces an editorial takeover and a hussarious management under the influence of the Vivendi group, now the majority shareholder of the Lagardère group. Before this takeover was definitively validated by the competition authorities of the European Commission, journalists from Match are dismissed or have been forced to leave the editorial staff. A wave of departures which reflects the depth of this malaise within this editorial staff which is soon celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Since the beginning of the crisis marked last summer by a controversy around a front page devoted to Cardinal Robert Sarah and the departure of editor-in-chief Bruno Jeudy, one of the emblematic figures of the title, around twenty experienced journalists (on 63 incumbents) have left the editorial staff, mainly for editorial reasons. Latest example, the departure of Emilie Blachère. Great reporter working for nearly 16 years at Paris Match. Emilie Blachère has decided to exercise her conscience clause to quit the weekly. A reason provided for in section L 7112-5 of Labor Code, but very rarely brandished in press law. The journalist believes that the management of Match To “significantly changed focus” and that creates “a situation likely to damage his honor and reputation”.
No article on Vincent Bolloré’s proteges, like Cyril Hanouna
Faced with the refusal of her management to recognize the conscience clause, the journalist therefore seized the industrial tribunal on Thursday, February 16. “I really like this titleexplains Emilie Blachère to franceinfo. I was very proud to belong to it, but today the situation is too serious for the future of the newspaper. We trample the work and the spirit of Match.” In her request to the prud’hommes, which franceinfo consulted, the journalist lists a series of facts internal to the magazine as so many objective proofs of a strategic and ideological influence of the entourage of Vivendi and Vincent Bolloré on this title renowned for the value of its reporting, information people and relative political neutrality.
The journalist mentions the change of organization chart and the appointment in particular of Patrick Mahé, reputed to be close to Vincent Bolloré, at the head of Paris Match. She points out that the very strategic choice of the magazine’s covers is now in the hands of Lagardère News in place of the editorial management, but also the absence of a cover on the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, un precedent in presidential coverage by Paris Match. She also mentions the appointment of journalist Laurence Ferrari, one of the incarnations of CNews and Europe 1, properties of Vincent Bolloré. The request also mentions a series of subjects imposed on the editorial staff in the name of commercial synergies between Lagardère and the media entities of the Vivendi group such as Canal+ or the publisher Fayard. She also denounces the existence of complacent articles vis-à-vis the entourage of Vincent Bolloré, such as the one devoted in November 2021 to the book God. Science. The evidenceco-written by Vincent Bolloré’s older brother, Michel-Yves Bolloré, but whose name does not appear in the article.
Finally, the journalist underlines the absence of articles on the billionaire’s proteges like Cyril Hanouna, star of the C8 channel, yet at the heart of the news. So many arguments that echo several press releases and a motion of no confidence from the Society of Journalists of Paris Match.
Contacted by franceinfo, the management of Lagardère News made no comment. But in a letter consulted by franceinfo, the group replies to the journalist that “Vivendi does not yet exercise control over the Lagardère group (…) and does not intervene in its strategic, financial and even less editorial management”.
“Managerial violence”
Like Emilie Blachère, other major signatures of the newspaper have decided to leave the newspaper for the same reasons. This is the case of this reporter who prefers to remain anonymous. He evokes a “bollorization” of Paris Match but also of JDDowned by Lagardère News. “Some are gone, explains this journalist. Many are waiting for the takeover to exercise their transfer clause and leave Match, like what happened on i-Télé. Dor nearly two years, we have witnessed quite unprecedented managerial violence and a series of editorial defeats. Political papers are censored. Indulgent articles are highlighted or edited to please the main shareholder. The takeover by Vivendi is on everyone’s mind. The new management wants to attract the good graces of the future shareholder. We have entered into a logic of global media, an industrial logic with these famous ‘synergies’ and journalists from Match and JDD invited to make as many sets as possible on CNews.”
“It is the constitution of a media group before its time.”
a former Paris Match journalistat franceinfo
Journalists disassociate themselves from their managing editor
According to our information, the teams of JDD and of Paris Match recently practiced flex-officeor the absence of designated offices, in order to prepare for the arrival of the CNews teams on the 2nd floor of the Parisian building which houses their premises. This week, the Society of Journalists of Paris Match reacted to a vitriolic editorial by the weekly’s boss, Patrick Mahé, against the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul Malak. Editorial where Patrick Mahé defended CNews and Europe 1. In a press release, the SDJ said “to dissociate oneself from this position which can only damage the image of the title and cast doubt on the independence of the editorial staff vis-à-vis its main shareholder (Vivendi)”.
Behind the editorial crisis Paris Match, questions hang over the future of Vivendi’s takeover bid against the Lagardère group. Since June 2022, Vivendi has held 57.35% of the capital of Lagardère. The European competition authorities must validate or not the operation before May 23rd. But last December, investigators from the European Commission visited Paris Match, heard officials and consulted computers to verify that Vincent Bolloré’s group did not impose its strategic and editorial decisions before the hour. If Vivendi carried out an early takeover, a game jumping in commercial jargon, Vincent Bolloré’s group could receive a theoretical fine of up to 10% of its global turnover and thus jeopardize its project to create a major global media outlet.