France, Organisation Communiste Libertarie (OCL) - Courant
Alternatif #245 - Touch the bottom - The throes of a daily press
sucked the Web (fr, it, pt)[machine translation]
For decades, they talk about a crisis in both the written and the press. In fact, reading
is always practical, but supports more than just paper; about rampant in this disaffection
observed towards daily, she reflects both a lack of interest for newspapers 'information'
which are mostly class, on the other hand the attraction of Internet all human activities.
Current situation, illustrated in particular by the example of the World. ---- Sales of
the national daily press (PQN, "national" mean in the Paris France) fell continuously:
according to the OJD, between January and July this year, the overall decline was 3.4%
compared to 2013 - Le Parisien, L'Equipe and Libe being the most affected. As a result the
latter (97 000 copies, 250 employees including 180 journalists es): September 15,
management announced plans to restructure the company, with the key 93 job cuts, and wait
staff remaining a rate more sustained, more flexibility and "individual performance"
inducing "variable portion of compensation." As for the World, broadcast 500,000 paid
copies in the 1970s, it is more than the 267,000 in July 2014 - with an average newsstand
sales of only 75,000 copies (1).
The impact of the image and "free" on paid dailies
We find this collapse of the press in other Western countries - with its consequences:
layoffs time in Switzerland, El Pais in Spain, the Corriere della be in Italy; closing the
Frankfurter Rundschau in Germany, Apogevmatini, To Vima and Eleftherotypia in Greece ...
And many reasons commonly advanced to explain: high cost of paper, fewer ads,
undercapitalization publishers, weak advertising spending , one-time additional costs of
drafting, structural extra costs of distribution, incompetence media owners ... But in
France, two back especially as regards the national daily press. First, a growing lack of
interest in writing in general - in competition with the image with the proliferation of
screens and the rise of the Internet. The media continue to sound the alarm about this in
relation to young people (especially boys addicted to video games) (2). While many people
read few books, or are limited to the author are "recognized-es": price, classics,
celebrities ...; However, reading is still a commonly practiced activity - although it
must certainly modulate such a finding based on class, and noted a stylistic relaxation of
what is read, arising from the writing of SMS and other emails - and this activity has
gained new media: computers, tablets, e-readers. In addition, for the newspapers, note
that if the news are doing too badly (see subscription royal gifts offered by L'Express
and Le Nouvel Observateur), it is different for the tabloids, leisure ( practical and
entertaining content, or selling scenery, beautiful objects), or so-called "feminine": no
"crisis" there, and the pub is the appointment (3). So the problem is not so much in the
paper and in the form and substance of what is written on it. Until the explosion of the
Internet bubble, newspapers, radio stations and TV channels were the only means of
information "immediate"; today is the web which gives this almost instantaneous (L'Equipe
is especially penalized because sports results no delay). So to compensate for their
disabilities, the daily attempt to occupy the niche of other periodicals usual: they offer
in their columns folders and items "debates" (they have little time to deepen) play more
in addition to a map of a shock image (which makes them drift to the event), multiply the
thematic and other nonstandard 'balance sheets of the world "or annual atlas. And above
all, they create their own computer site.
One of the World was born in December 1995; its attendance increases, but subscriptions
have reported that 15% of the total turnover in 2013 (against 80% for newsprint); indeed,
the subscriber-es 140 000 of this title, half of them are only Lemonde.fr, whose contract
is cheaper than the paper - and the other half are subscriber-es paper, who have free
access to electronic journal. Other daily newspapers are also available to the Net for
years, but all are struggling to decide between paying and non-paying in this offer, for
the uneconomic hour. However, they occupy the place, because they can not do otherwise:
the pub, a large source of funding for them, deserting them to go to the sites, where it
continues to grow, they are forced to follow. Especially as their usual clientele less and
less disdain the Web for information. According to the media, the poor state of the
national daily press is also due to the popularity of free publications, "unfair
competition." In fact, there is a safe bet that if he was not free to take the entrance to
the subway or train station, their readership play with a laptop or a much would it buy
sudoku a "derivative" as the "big dailies". For if indigent matter information offered by
free, it is probably sufficient for them to keep abreast of the news. Media load against
these publications seems more to have lost momentum in recent times and the fact that they
are, for some, customers of the printing of PQN there is probably no stranger: there a few
years , the workers of the Book commandos were conducting aggressive interventions in
their distribution points to prevent the latter to occur, but agreements have obviously
been found.
The "objectivity"? How could this be?
In reality, the problem of the national daily press is far from holding the two cases
cited, and rather to the other two. The first is its treatment of info: This is a class
press, largely reserved for an elite (except Le Parisien - Today, and to a lesser extent,
L'Equipe) and understandable primarily by it. Evidenced by both its readership (also
essential for male), its funding sources (state, shareholders, pub), and those that
establish the content. The World is emblematic intended primarily to the intelligentsia
and the employers, its "average reader" a man of 52 years belonging to the supervision of
businesses or educational community (4). (The proportion of readers is higher on weekends,
where the newspaper is sold with the infamous pub magazine about luxury, fashion, beauty
called M Magazine. No comment.) The creation of this title, in 1944 was deemed necessary
by the State itself: de Gaulle wanted a "prestigious" newspaper for France, replacing
Time, accused of collaborating - The World took over the format, presentation, local and
staff. On this basis, even hyperd?ficitaire (EUR 2.3 million loss in 2013), it can not
disappear (5).
The episode in 2010 has shown: the daily had then some EUR 94 million in debt and he had
to EUR 10 million in order to avoid insolvency. Yet the deals have not failed to resume.
It is ultimately the trio banker Matthieu Pigasse (Les Inrockuptibles ...) and bosses
Xavier Niel (Iliad So Free ...) and Pierre Berger (Globe, stubborn ...) (6), which was
praised by the employee-es company (see the operation of this newspaper in the box on his
"crisis"). Newspapers are archisubventionn?e government - The World first: he hit EUR 18.6
million of it in 2012. And at this annual support is added for each title in the national
daily press, from 2003 to 2010, about EUR 3 million per year "aid to the modernization of
the press." Aid not quite disinterested authority expects a "good" treatment info, and if
it is slow it can use indirect means of pressure to get it. Le Monde, which has hovered
over its history between the center left and center right, was found under the presidency
of Sarkozy: Direct Matin, Le Journal du dimanche and Les Echos, respectively owned by
Vincent Bollor?, and Arnaud Lagard?re Bernard Arnault, three bosses good friends of the
President, ceased to be drawn by Le Monde printing (LMI) as punishment for insufficient
kindness to her. Similarly, shareholders oriented to a large extent the content of the
national daily press (7). Le Monde, the weight of the trio quickly influenced the choice
of subjects and topics. Since the late 1970s, current events had already melted in this
newspaper for the benefit of the economy, but today it is clearly compete Les Echos.
Supplements "Business World" and "World Money" was therefore added in 2013 "Economy and
business" (daily list of 8 to 14 pages) - while he was buried geopolitical supplement
guilty of poor publicity. Place on environment and ecology has even decreased (8), and
Section planet has been reduced to a trickle. According Acrimed, business and corporate
life now occupies about a quarter of the daily and three-quarters of its business
notebook. The choice of topics to be added more than their treatment to create the event
and guide the "public opinion". One example among a thousand other manipulation, the
headline in one of the World: "Marine Le Pen tops among young people aged 18-24" -
according to a CSA poll conducted April 10, 2012, so shortly before the presidential ...
on the basis of a sample (not stated) less than 200 people (9).
And being anything but good Samaritans, shareholders expect quick results - and do know
bluntly. Following Niel as saying: "When journalists emmerdent me, I take an interest in
their duck after they fuck me peace," Berg? launched in the direction of the World, as a
wish for 2014 " You have no alternative but to make departures, whether voluntary or
forced. Or do you mean things and this will concern some, or we will take unpleasant
decisions and this will affect everyone. "Finally play social belonging journalists and
their proximity to the ruling classes of the country (including reading The New Watchdogs
Serge Halimi): Sharing and promoting the same values and references, attending the same
schools and other institutions (see box on the precariousness in the press). If this
occurs, an early objective would actually admit ... that it can not exist. And one wonders
what risk really short this print, as long as it meets the needs and expectations of the
ruling classes. In truth, the situation of the national daily press reflects the existing
gap between the upper classes richer and the majority of society, who can not share or
their concerns or their interests (part of the middle classes to reduce the train of life,
with the erosion of purchasing power). Far from rebelling in the name of their sacrosanct
"objectivity", against the potential threats would be the disappearance of the "mainstream
media" for "democracy", we must instead continue to denounce their connections with the
high economic spheres and policies.
Print, it's all a business!
The second, not the least being a source of trouble for the national daily press is called
the Internet. Admittedly, the fall of their readership and advertising encourages daily to
search endlessly money elsewhere than in the writings of journalists through the use of
proven methods: the members of their essays are like "prayed-es" of wet their shirt and
also sell their word - the benefits paid handsomely - in forums, entrepreneurs shows,
cultural events and sports ... Auto, forerunner of L'Equipe, had invented the Tour de
France, L'Huma its feast; Now, La Tribune uses its brand to offer events throughout France
- 80 in 2014, who reported 25 to 30% of its revenues (with "editorial-driven writing, not
the advertising," according its direction). The world held its first music and cultural
festival in Paris on 20-21 September, at the Bastille Opera Garnier and the Olympia for 70
years (he will celebrate on December 18[10]).
Cross made theme trips and cruises for two years. Lib?ration holds debates in the hall of
its editorial board (3-7 November, a "week of social entrepreneurship") - when he had
titled one, on February 8, "WE ARE A JOURNAL , not a restaurant, not a social network, not
a cultural space, not a TV set, not a bar, not an incubator for start-up ... "in response
to the draft presented by the businessmen Bruno Ledoux and Edouard Rothschild and the
Italian group Ersel create his seat all this ... not to mention the fate of writing. Many
"products" that are primarily aimed at a certain audience - consciously or not, it is
always to stay among themselves, even if the statements of intent are others. However,
these are only meager palliative, facing the ubiquity of the Web on a large part of the
planet. Because through the Net seems gradually required for all relations of public and
private life, business activities as well as personal relationships (dating sites like
paperwork ...). For example, according to many surveys, youth abandoned the "small screen"
(which becomes the medium of certain age groups) to download computer music, movies and
videos to consume online or of other media (MP3, USB keys, external hard drive ...).
Then, yielding to this prerequisite, La Croix is also launching the first weekly for
parents and children on computer and tablet (linked Bayard jeunesse). Le Figaro multiplies
the thematic sites: health, wine, technology ... The World Africa announced it will create
a chain and M Magazine, and a digital edition of the morning to mobile - paid for in part
with EUR 1.8m fund Google for the press (11). A sacred symbol of change in perspective,
Paper World, renamed "print", is no longer a support among others: computers, tablets,
smartphones; and all now part of the information processed on the Net, which is then
dispatched on these media. Internet squatting everything and brings everything back to
him. Phones must have the radios to be on its sites ... A message heard by his past: to
attract another audience and attract high-es youth in the culture of the image, they are
also invested in video production; already listened to YouTube or via a screen, they now
equip their cameras recording studios to film their emissions (12).
But fragile attention that world is to thank you a power failure. So better not lose a few
old habits still remaining in daily life - meet to discuss verbally enter a pen to take
notes ... or newspaper - as AC - to learn!
Vanina
1. The kiosk system collapses: ex-NMPP (renamed Presstalis since the end of their
monopoly) to hunt by their draconian conditions many small publications, and penalize the
securities of the PQN dysfunctions engendered by their many disputes with kiosqui?res.
2. According to M?diam?trie, 15-35 year olds nowadays use two and a half times the
Internet in 2005.
3. The information provided by the magazines may not be zero, but it is certainly
unbearably gendered - especially the "women's magazines", focused on fashion, health,
children and home.
4. In his free internet offer, Le Monde tries to tame a younger audience by offering
premium on education, new technologies, sports, culture - at the expense of international
and politics.
5. In early 2017, he has to move with the other securities of Le Monde (GLM): The Life,
T?l?rama, Courrier International ... in local (! To build) the 13th arrondissement - apart
from Le Monde diplomatique, including Le Monde a 51%, but has an independent editorial
with its own buildings.
6. They were purchasers together this year, 65% of the Nouvel Observateur, via their
holding free world (LML).
7. It should also be appreciated banks: in the late 2000s, Le Monde has been denied by
Serge Halimi financial assistance by BNP Paribas, for having a little criticism.
8. Herv? Kempf was forced to start because its position against the airport in
Notre-Dame-des-Landes displeased - see his website Reporterre. 9. In fact, Le Pen got
roughly the same proportion of voter-rice-s youth than in the general population (17.9%).
10. A film about its history, the People of the World, was released in September.
11. Le Monde and Le Figaro also trying to buy each LCI TF1 - the negotiations for the time
does not seem likely to succeed.
12. France Culture will present early 2015 a weekly TV magazine produced by a renowned
filmmaker to show "things seen" during the week on its premises.
The "crisis" of the World, an effect of modernization
Employee-es in the World will manage through companies. The Society of Editors of the
World (SRM 400 journalists in four years), responsible for ensuring its editorial
independence, was born in 1951 (1); that of employees (SEM) and managers (SCM) in 1968;
that of 1985 readers, and a supervisory board exists since 1994. The closure of the LMI
printing in 2015, has in recent years been the subject of countless negotiations on its
staff and caused a lot of non-issues of the newspaper; but the crisis that hit the world
last spring is due to the desire to launch a new editorial formula (with pictures and
graphics larger than before, more airy texts ...) and, simultaneously, to install a new
system computer to merge the editorial newsprint and the Net. A "crazy calendar" that
sparked the house a certain tension. After being acclaimed (80% of the vote) in 2013,
Natalie Nougayr?de took charge of the publication (in tandem with Louis Dreyfus) and the
essays, but its popularity has quickly collapsed. In mid-February 2014, it announced the
mix of newsrooms through a Mobility Plan 57 paper items are "cropped" and "redeployed" on
the Web, while the housing sections, exclusion, social economy or would suburb deleted.
The journalists affected by the plan repostuleraient internally, including their own
position (three reclassification refusal resulting in termination); but others may also
apply via these positions "open" - a real game of musical chairs denounced by the elected
representatives of the staff (2), suspecting the direction of wanting to get rid of some
journalists "dear and old." On March 21, journalists Interactive World (MIA) issued a
negative opinion on the plan, the lot of freelancers and CDD site remains uncertain
although they often work full-time there for years.
Technologia has in turn conducted an audit of 30 employee-es and early May made a very
critical report (that Mediapart published) on the mood established by the hierarchy. 6,
seven members of the chief editor resigned from office (very temporarily for some, and
others had to leave anyway); Staff in general meeting, they denounced "major failures" due
to management and declared their lack of confidence in him. 14, Nougayr?de, released by
the shareholders, announced his departure (3). In the interim, the shareholders appointed
Gilles Van Kote publishing director and editor in chief Jerome F?niglio and in the new
restructuring plan submitted on 15 September, the number of positions to renegotiate
dropped to 29. But then that would release a revamped newspaper, October 6, management
informed that she wanted to consolidate into a new company a number of services,
administrative and other (IT, finance, legal, human resources, documentation,
manufacturing ...), under the pretext standardize the various statutes are coexisting. In
reality, it is to move the staff of the department involved in a detached convention of
the press, Syntec - which would be negotiated with the future-es delegates from the
subsidiary created (the elected representatives present preferring to go rather than
accept it). The prospect of negotiated departures in case of refusal to integrate this
subsidiary and the fear of losing a lot if accepted aroused indignation enough that AG
together 300 to 400 people, as Le Monde does not appear one day and a petition against
this plan is largely signed.
Management is responsible for not wanting to touch any of the "benefits" that gives
affiliation to the press convention, it set a timetable for negotiations until the end of
the year. Delegates seem to consider the matter closed - but they may as well show some
fighting spirit that taking the "interest from home" for them. Thus, when the management
said in 2013 want to delete RTT they vote they have the staff before meeting in order to
obtain a broad balance of power in their favor; but a year later they Were abruptly
announced to staff 11 RTT loss of 21 per year, with the pill for the allocation to each
employee e-gross annual premium of EUR 1,000. So distrust is more than ever on the agenda:
the removal of RTT and labor contracts revised downwards are also in the "formula" imposed
on the employee-es Libe to achieve a unified paper-writing Web 130 journalists working in
all media and developing "new activities".
1. Jean-Marc Colombani, appointed editor and publishing director in 1994, was landed by
the SRM before his third term (it takes 40% of votes to be elected-e).
2. Delegates (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CGT, Infocom) operate in Inter.
3. No doubt she has been guilty of being a woman ... but we do not perhaps without reason
called Putin.
Precariousness, it is (still) in the press
The staff of the national daily press ceased to be reduced only for years, with blows of
"social plans". Among the remaining staff, journalists (a profession that is largely
feminized) are obviously not complain when they do they hold their position. But their pay
and working conditions, the "technical" in place do not have to cry not so: it is not
designated by chance once, the workers of the Book as the "labor aristocracy"; and if CGT
has sold off this status for its troops there ten years (1), workshop staff composition,
correction and photogravure of PQN was recycled in its editorial with journalist status -
while that a catch-up over several years was decided to ... number of editor-rice-s-es
worse off. Freelancers, who now make up between a third and half of the workforce in
writing and copy editing services (CSD) (2) or correction (es paid freelance), however,
are the low (but not the minimum wage) of a high enough wage scale - with much less leave
than incumbents, and often not entitled to reductions in working time (RTT), seniority and
supported while off premiums disease. They they are yet largely run the business while the
owners are on vacation or RTT.
The fear of a downgrade that would bring their situation to that of those precarious's not
for nothing in the manifest reluctance towards the web of journalists paper mail. They are
worried they rightly. First, because other than them they "do" here much of the
information or providing "live" with their comments follow an event (such as a demo) at
the bottom of an online article or feeding their own blog or site; and this information
when it is deemed "citizen" and resumed during the official press on some sites, the
editor-rice-s have mostly verification mission (minimum) or its layout - a Journalism
practice highly developed in Asia. Deusio because, settling behind a computer without a
newspaper then published their production, "real-es" journalists generally lose in part
their working conditions and pay. Anyway, sometimes expressed fear them see, to support
changing their functions to reduce the treatment of news agencies (in order to "adapt" to
the log line that employs them) is actually widely Tin: for many, it is already most of
their task (3).
1. A lot of their elected representatives were among those who then left the profession
for 50 years, with an interesting financial agreement.
2. precarious (contracts for a week), aged twenty years, show a zeal not counting their
hours, which puts them in competition with precarious thirties, more "set-es" in instead
(monthly CDD) and life, and therefore more generous with their time. Atmosphere.
3. There is almost no es sent special, even if the editors claim to have in (hence
internally jokes: X or Y is "sent-e-e Special" ... to a particular stage the company).
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