The editorial staff of the Journal du Dimanche expresses its “deep concern” following the “surprise announcement” on Wednesday of the departure of its managing director, Jérôme Bellay, three months following his appointment, and of his replacement by Jérôme Béglé, according to a press release sent Thursday evening .
“We have not received any explanation as to the reasons for this decision, which comes less than a hundred days before the presidential election and a few weeks before a takeover bid from Vivendi, in which Vincent Bolloré is the majority shareholder, on the Lagardère group, “said the Society of Journalists (SDJ) of the weekly’s editorial staff.
Journalist Jérôme Béglé will take over the general management of the editorial staff of JDD, a very influential weekly in politics, from January 24, three months following the previous reshuffle at the head of the newspaper, the Lagardère group announced on Wednesday.
“The appointment of Jérôme Béglé, regular columnist for CNews, makes us fear a rapprochement with the channel of the Bolloré group, an opinion media which claims to be such. The editorial staff of the Journal du Dimanche is opposed to it,” announced the SDJ of the weekly.
“In a context of brutal takeover of Europe 1, we recall our vigilance as to the editorial line of the JDD and our attachment to its independence,” she added.
The management of the JDD had already been turned upside down at the end of October, following the dismissal of Hervé Gattegno, replaced by Jérôme Bellay. Lagardère, owner of the publication whose main shareholder is media giant Vivendi, was silent on the reasons for this eviction.
On Wednesday, the group had not given a reason for this new change.
Cyril Petit, managing editor, however retains his functions and will support Jérôme Béglé to “continue the transformation projects initiated on JDD, in particular on digital,” the group said in a press release.
Jérôme Béglé, who worked for Paris-Match, Figaro Magazine and Point, regularly speaks on the CNews channel, owned by Vivendi, the group led by billionaire conservative Vincent Bolloré.
Under his leadership, the Europe 1 radio station, also owned by Lagardère, has this season made a merger with CNews, causing a haemorrhage of departures within the station.
