Journalists have gone on strike to criticize the arrival of the former editor of “Current Values”, whose CV and connections with the far right are worrying internally.
On June 25, 2023, the Minister of Culture had to give up her “Sunday Ritual”. Like all readers of Sunday newspaperRima Abdul Malak explained on Twitter that she could not “waking up with the ‘JDD'”, whose writing, on strike, did not ensure the publication. A social movement launched last Thursday, in response to the appointment at the head of the weekly of Geoffroy Lejeune, a 34-year-old journalist whose background and connections with the far right are causing outrage. Appointed by Arnaud Lagardère, CEO of the Lagardère group to which belongs The Sunday newspaperGeoffroy Lejeune arrives from Current valuesa weekly from which he was recently fired.
Under his direction, Current values To supported far-right candidate Eric Zemmour for the 2022 presidential election. In his book A regular election (ed. Ring), published in 2015, Geoffroy Lejeune already imagined a presidential destiny for the star columnist of CNews. In addition to this closeness with the president of the Reconquête party, the journalist is also a close friend of Marion Maréchal, the niece of Jean-Marie Le Pen, whom he has known since adolescentprecise The world. When he was leading Current valueshe had also assumed, during an interview published on the Issep website, the school of political science co-founded by Marion Maréchal, a “will to conquer” ideological.
Values contrary to the “JDD”
At Sunday newspaperGeoffroy Lejeune could be accompanied by Charlotte d’Ornellas, a journalist accustomed to the sets of CNews and “figure of the reactionary right and close to the ideas of Eric Zemmour”describes the Society of Sunday Journal Journalists in a press release. These two arrivals at the head of the weekly therefore raise fears of a very right turn in the newspaper’s editorial line. “Geoffroy Lejeune (…) expresses ideas contrary to the values that the ‘JDD’ has carried for seventy-five years”assures the SDJ.
In a message published on Twitter on Sunday, journalist Gaël Vaillant recalled that the weekly advocated “humanism, the defense of democracy and respect for others”. “The ‘JDD’ has always had this ability to move lines in favor of these values”writes the one who fears a seizure of power “by the heralds of a reactionary and dangerous crusade”.
A thought shared by the vast majority of the editorial staff who voted 98% on Saturday in favor of the renewal of the strike (80 votes “for”, two “against”, three “no opinion”). In his press release, the journalists denounced “hate attacks and false information” spread by Current values and also mentioned thea controversy born after the publication in August 2020 of a story depicting MP Danièle Obono as a slave.
The press release recalls that this article has “won its author and the director of the publication a condemnation for public insult of a racist nature” towards the elected representative of La France insoumise. “We refuse that the ‘JDD’ take this path”says the editorial staff. This newspaper is not an opinion newspaper. It is a newspaper that loves politics without taking sides, attached to its independence, recognized for its seriousness and moderation. According to the SDJ, the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune could also “to endanger the newspaper, by repelling the readers as well as the advertisers”.
The shadow of Vincent Bolloré
This appointment “would further demonstrate to what extent Vincent Bolloré already holds the reins of the newspaper”fears the drafting of the JDD. At the beginning of June, the European Commission authorized Vivendi, the group of the conservative billionaire, to absorb its former rival Lagardère. In recent years, the businessman, close traditionalist Catholic circles, was accused of using the media he controls (the CNews and C8 channels or Europe 1 radio) to promote his opinions and extend his influence. A theory he has always disputed.
However, since the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, accusations have been raining down. “The Bolloré system is being put in place: it is a brutal method to establish the grip of the shareholder, a refusal of the elementary rules of journalism and the contempt for the history of a newspaper”reacted the secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, Christophe Deloire, on Twitter.
“We can see, behind all this, the shadow of Vincent Bolloré and the web he weaves in the world of the mediaconfirms Christian Delporte, specialist in media history, on the INA website. Vincent Bolloré is not just any industrialist: he is very interventionist, much more than Robert Hersant in his time for example, and he appoints people who are politically very colorful.
Faced with the risks induced by the billionaire’s control over the media, the National Union of Journalists wished to recall that “it is above all the editorial staff who are responsible for the editorial line and identity of their title as well as the maintenance of these, despite changes in the shareholders”.