The editorial staff of the JDD has been on strike since 22 June. Their worries were caused by the appointment of far-right editor Geoffroy Lejeune. They're renewing their strike. And in an open letter, their journalists called on Emmanuel Macron to protect the independence of the press.
Journalists from the weekly newspaper voted onTuesday to renew their strike.
The movement has reached its 20th day.
This Sunday was the third with no JDD in France.
The editorial staff shared on open letter, published by the daily newspaper Ouest-France, to call on President Macron for support.
“Information is not a commodity like the others”, JDD's staff wrote in its letter, insisting on the “urgency” to guarantee “the editorial independence and impartial information”.
They ask President Macron to “seize this question as quickly as possible. First by taking a public position on this decisive question, then by changing the legal framework”.
Unacceptable far-right editor
Many observers see in the appointment of editor Geoffroy Lejeune, who's close to the far right, as a choice from billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré.
Yet, Arnaud Lagardère, the head of the group that owns the Journal du Dimanche (JDD), denies it.
The nomination of Lejeune came just after the Vivendi group of Mr. Bolloré received the the green light from Brussels to buy the Lagardère group.
The length of the strike movement is unprecedented; the previous strike of 2016 at Le JDD had affected only one Sunday of publication.
The JDD editorial staff said in a statement that "under Geoffroy Lejeune, Valeurs Actuelles spread hateful attacks and fake news. We refuse that the JDD follows this path."
Waiting for political support
Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak received a delegation of JDD journalists last week, a few days after expressing her deep concern for “republican values” on Twitter.
Yet, Olivier Véran, spokesperson for the government, on June 27 at the National Assembly, declared that “it is not up to the State today to interfere in the choice of a drafting of the private domain.”
The NGO Reporters without Borders (RSF) expressed its worries, and published a report on Bolloré's constant attacks against free press in 2021.
"Bolloré is a specialist in taking an axe to media that he buys," Christophe Deloire, secretary general of RSF, wrote on Twitter.
"He is a businessman who bullies his media employees and could destabilise the sector."
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