Three letters have long defined The Parisian. RER, for “reveal, astonish, tell”. “With Bernard Arnault, we can see that revelations have limits”squeaks a journalist, who requested anonymity, specifying that the scoops still exist in the pages of the daily “but not about anyone”. LVMH, whose majority shareholder is Bernard Arnault, bought this title in 2015. Eight years later, the erosion of sales continues and, in addition to concerns about the health of the newspaper, there have been questions about the line editorial and on the supposed interventionism of the main shareholder.
This feeling of unease was expressed during the two general assemblies held at the beginning of April, which brought together more than half of the 410 press cards of the editorial staff. Some denounce the “partisan drift of the editorial line” in favor of the executive since the start of the protest against the pension reform. Some within the editorial staff saw the hand of Bernard Arnault behind this inflection. Nicolas Charbonneau, editorial director, fiercely contests these attacks.
Proof of the extent of the concern felt, on April 12, the overwhelming majority of the editorial staff refused to place their trust in the management. The eviction of Nicolas Barré from the editorial management of Echoes – daily also owned by LVMH – a few days earlier had revived speculation among those who were worried about the actions of the shareholder.
The nagging question comes up at each general meeting of the drafting of the Parisian. Why did Bernard Arnault choose to bet on a popular daily newspaper that is still often found on the counters of Parisian bistros? To take advantage of its influence and the prestige of the brand? “It’s a must for any billionaire, but he also wanted to make it an educational tool for the market economy”, explains one of his relatives. Heard in January 2022 as part of the Senate commission of inquiry into media concentration, Mr. Arnault had advanced the” general interest “ to justify its presence in the media sector. “Otherwise, some titles would not have survived”he said, presenting himself as a patron.
Very attentive
“Bernard Arnault, who is very attached to the press, chose to show that he believed in this sector”ensures the World Francis Morel, who was the CEO of Echoes in 2015. Convinced that the economic newspaper risked becoming an isolated player in a landscape in full concentration, Mr. Morel worked to convince Mr. Arnault to bring together The Parisian And The echoes (which he had owned since 2007) in the same group, arguing savings from pooling support functions (subscription, human resources, etc.) as well as a greater strike force from a common advertising agency. “Either we went out, or we strengthened ourselves”he summarizes, today.
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