The Paris Match and JDD societies of journalists, both owned by Vincent Bollore, announce their dissolution.

The Societies of Journalists (SDJ) (associations of journalists created within the editorial group to ensure respect for the ethics and independence of the newspaper) Paris Match and the Journal du Dimanche (JDD) have dissolved, he said. We learned about this on Friday from one of their members.

SDJ JDD voted to dissolve it on Tuesday, and Pari Match disappeared the same day, with no candidate coming forward after members of his office resigned, this source confirmed, confirming information from the Les Jours website.

Relations between SDJ and the management of the two publications became significantly strained after they took over the power of billionaire Vincent Bollore, whose opinions were considered ultra-conservative.

Since November, the Lagardère group that owns these newspapers (which also owns Europe 1) is effectively under the complete control of Vivendi, the media giant run by the Bolloré family.

Tensions at the Paris match

The SDJ of the newspaper Paris Match, for example, announced in December its disagreement with the choice of the front page, dedicated to the Nativity scene in the Parisian house owned by Vincent Bollore. Three members of the SDJ office then resigned after a stormy meeting with Lagardère News management.

In the summer of 2022, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief for politics and economics, Bruno Jedi, was removed from his position after the publication of a controversial SJ front page dedicated to the ultra-conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah. A vote of no confidence was passed against the leadership. And last June, an SDJ member who was concerned about Vincent Bolloré’s interference in the weekly’s editorial choices was sacked.

The association has become an empty shell

On the JDD side, members of the SDJ newspaper unanimously voted to disband it as it had become an empty shell.

Grouped into the “Article 34” association, former members assigned to journalists decided to keep this name, which is now headed by Geoffroy Lejeune, the former editorial director of Valeurs Actuelles, labeled far-right.

SDJ remained on site to oversee the departure of about fifty permanent journalists and about forty freelancers. “Unless members of SDJ offices enjoy a protective status similar to that of elected union officials, the risk of the weakening or even gradual disappearance of these associations, which guarantee respect for ethics and independence, is real,” warned “Article 34,” which protects “freedom, pluralism and media independence.”