Journalists at Le Journal du Dimanche End Historic Strike Amid Outrage over Far-Right Editor Appointment

Journalists at Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), France's flagship Sunday newspaper, have ended their five-week strike in protest against the nomination of a new editor-in-chief with ties to a far-right magazine. The strike began in late June and was in response to the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune, the former head of the controversial magazine Valeurs Actuelles. Valeurs Actuelles has faced criticism for its anti-immigrant covers and was fined for racist insult in 2022.

The nomination of Lejeune raised concerns about the expansion of a right-wing media empire controlled by French billionaire Vincent Bollore, which has drawn comparisons to Fox News. Press freedom groups and the French government expressed reservations about Lejeune's appointment. President Emmanuel Macron's Culture Minister, Rima Abdul Malak, voiced alarm about the risk to French "values."

The strike prevented the newspaper from publishing for six consecutive weekends, causing significant disruption to its operations. However, despite reaching an agreement to end the strike, journalists at JDD expressed disappointment that Lejeune's appointment would proceed. They stated that many reporters would choose to leave the newspaper, leaving an empty newsroom for the new editor-in-chief. Lagardere, the owner of JDD, confirmed the deal to end the strike and announced that the newspaper would be back in newsstands from mid-August.

The strike at JDD and the agreement for severance packages for departing reporters followed a trend seen at other media outlets acquired by Bollore in recent years. The controversy surrounding Lejeune's appointment comes as Bollore is in the process of acquiring Lagardere Group, which also owns Paris Match magazine and Europe 1 radio. Bollore, a conservative Catholic, has been steadily expanding his media empire to include TV channels and print media. JDD, known for its political coverage, has typically aligned with centrist views and been seen as sympathetic to the government of President Macron. The strike at JDD has been described as one of the longest in recent French media history, lasting 40 days.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a Paris-based press freedom group, compared it to the 28-month strike by staff at Le Parisien daily that began in 1975. While the strike may have come to an end, the impact of Lejeune's appointment on the future of JDD remains uncertain. It is clear that many journalists are unwilling to work under his leadership and have chosen to leave the newspaper. The coming weeks will reveal how JDD navigates this challenging situation and adapts to changes in its editorial team.