THE Sunday newspaper is back on newsstands this Sunday, August 6. A big surprise, just five days after the arrival of its new editorial director, Geoffroy Lejeune. After several weeks of absence, the JDD reappeared with a surprise edition of 32 pages, 22 less than the last edition. For the occasion, the former boss of Current Values was the guest of Europe 1 this Sunday. This is the first time he has spoken in the media since his arrival at the head of the weekly.
“A very rich news”
The closing of this new issue, which appeared after having left newsstands for several weeks, took place under very specific conditions, marked by a strike by journalists from the editorial staff of JDD. A true baptism of fire for Geoffroy Lejeune, freshly arrived at the head of the JDD.
“There was a social conflict that lasted several weeks, extensively commented on by the media and which ended at the beginning of the week, Tuesday morning. From there, I understand that I can start working and that’s what which I have wanted to do for several weeks”, explains the editorial director at the microphone of Europe 1.
While mid-August was the agreed date for the first publication, Geoffroy Lejeune was instructed to publish the JDD as soon as possible. “As soon as possible, it was actually this Sunday. Since it was impossible, we decided to do it. What happened is what you can read today on newsstands, that is tell a very rich news, a lot of things to say, a lot of work”, he underlines. For him, “a form of miracle” happened for the publication of this issue.
For this edition, there were very few of them to relaunch the machine of JDD. “We experienced something which, I think, does not exist in the press. That is to say that there are people of goodwill who have come forward to help us. We have launched subjects, we began to investigate, we launched interviews, portrait projects… And then, there are people who came to see us, sometimes even volunteers who came to help us proofread and lay out the newspaper. People who already had a job elsewhere and who showed up in a rather surreal atmosphere”, is surprised the new editorial director of the JDD which ensures that readers will find the major markers of this newspaper.