Le Journal du Dimanche
| Company type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Pierre Lazareff |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France |
| Owner | Vivendi |
| Parent | Lagardère Group (until 2023), then Vivendi |
| Website | www |
Le Journal du Dimanche (; ), commonly abbreviated as JDD, is a French weekly newspaper released every Sunday.
In 2023, Vivendi, under the leadership of media tycoon Vincent Bolloré, took ownership of JDD, triggering strikes due to concerns about a tilt toward far-right editorial direction.
History and profile
Established in 1948 by Pierre Lazareff, who was then the managing editor of France Soir, Le Journal du Dimanche is published by the Lagardère Group via its subsidiary Hachette Filipacchi Médias. The newspaper operates out of Paris and is distributed weekly on Sundays.
The publication initially appeared in broadsheet format until 1999, after which it transitioned to the Berliner size. On 6 March 2011, it adopted a larger tabloid format to refresh its visual identity.
Over the past twenty years, circulation numbers have steadily decreased: from 275,000 copies in 2001–2002 to 257,280 in 2010, and further declining to 151,007 copies by 2020.
2023 strike following Vivendi’s acquisition
Following Vivendi’s acquisition of Lagardère group, on 23 June 2023, Geoffroy Lejeune was named editor-in-chief. Lejeune had recently been removed from his role as editorial director at the far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles. This appointment met with strong resistance from the newsroom staff; on 22 June, 93% voted in favor of striking to oppose his arrival, which was widely perceived as driven by Vincent Bolloré. A month later, after Lagardère confirmed Lejeune’s editorial leadership effective from 1 August, an overwhelming 98% of journalists voted to extend the strike—making it the longest work stoppage in the paper’s history. This surpassed a previous 31-day strike at I-Tele during its rebranding to CNews, also overseen by Bolloré. On 25 July, the European Commission initiated a formal inquiry into Vivendi’s takeover over potential violations of EU regulations.
The strike concluded on 1 August after a 40-day duration when an agreement was reached concerning severance packages for employees departing due to editorial changes.
By June 2024, it emerged that approximately 95% of the newspaper’s journalists had exited through individual severance agreements, reflecting a major turnover following management changes.
Staff
- Alain Genestar
- Jean-Claude Maurice (1999–December 2005)
- Jacques Espérandieu (formerly of Le Parisien) (December 2005–May 2008)
- Christian de Villeneuve (May 2008–February 2010)
- Olivier Jay (March 2010–December 2011)
- Jérôme Bellay (2011–2016, 2021–2022)
- Hervé Gattegno (2016–2021)
- Jérôme Béglé (January 2022–June 2023)
- Geoffroy Lejeune (since June 2023)
References
- Article available on French Wikipedia.