A JDD employee on strike outside the weekly’s headquarters in Paris on July 5, 2023 (AFP/Alain JOCARD)
The editorial staff of the Sunday newspaper renewed its strike on Wednesday to protest against the arrival at its head of Geoffroy Lejeune (ex-Valeurs Actunaires), against the backdrop of possible progress concerning an agreement to guarantee its editorial independence, one of its requirements.
The continuation of this movement, which began three weeks ago, was voted “94%, in a secret ballot” (89 for, 6 against, 7 whites and draws), indicated on Twitter the Société des journalists (SDJ) of the weekly in the morning.
A few hours later, the SDJ of the JDD and that of Paris Match, another property of Lagardère, announced that they had mandated the lawyer Me Jean-Pierre Mignard “to accompany them in the development of an agreement which will set safeguards guaranteeing the legal and editorial independence of the group’s editorial staff”.
“The management tells us that it is open to discussing this draft editorial charter”, the other claim of the strikers opposed to the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, one of them told AFP. The solicited lawyer must thus “advise” them in his drafting.
Should we see this as a first step towards a resolution of the crisis, which began on June 22? “There is nothing tangible,” warns the JDD journalist, stressing that the withdrawal of the former editorial director of Valeurs Actuelles remains a priority.
Contacted by AFP, the management of Lagardère did not wish to react.
For the time being, the group remains on its positions. He will not return to the appointment as editorial director of Geoffroy Lejeune, support for the far-right candidate Eric Zemmour for the 2022 presidential election.
“The journalists of the JDD went Tuesday morning in front of the headquarters of Hachette, during the Lagardère group committee. Despite their mobilization, once again, the management did not respond to these requests”, recalled the SDJ .
The strike prevented the publication of three issues, unheard of in the history of the newspaper. And that of July 16 is compromised, according to a journalist interviewed by AFP on Tuesday.
Lagardère must pass under the control of Vivendi, the group of billionaire Vincent Bolloré, regularly accused of interference in the media it controls.
The Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye, on Sunday described the businessman as “a character clearly very close to the most radical far right”, attracting the wrath of the media in the Bolloré galaxy.
In this context, PS senator David Assouline on Wednesday tabled a bill, supported by the socialist group, aimed at guaranteeing “the independence of editorial staff”.
According to the proposed text, journalists will have to validate by qualified majority the appointment of the editorial director, with a participation rate of at least 50%.
hh-ac-jub-vm/it
© 2023 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends with the buttons below.
