Libération

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For other uses, see Libération (disambiguation).

</td></tr> <tr><th>Editor</th><td>Antoine de Gaudemar</td></tr> <tr><th>Political allegiance</th><td>Progressive, Left wing</td></tr>


Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Compact

Owner	Libération
Founded	1973
Headquarters	11, rue Béranger F-75154 Paris Cedex 03

Website: www.liberation.fr

Libération (affectionately known as Libé) is a French newspaper founded in Paris in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre, Pierre Victor alias Benny Lévy and Serge July in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968.

Libération was the first French daily newspaper to have a website.

Broadly speaking, Libération's editorial point of view is on the left-wing of the French political spectrum.

1 History
- 1.1 Libération-Nord and Libération-Sud
- 1.2 Libération, a newspaper founded in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

[edit] Libération-Nord and Libération-Sud

Libération was originally the name of the clandestine resistance newspapers Libération-Nord (published in Northern, occupied France) and Libération-Sud (published in Southern, Vichy France), first published in July 1941.

[edit] Libération, a newspaper founded in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre

[edit] First period (1973-1981)

The second, current newspaper, founded by Jean-Paul Sartre, published under the title Libération was published from 3rd February 1973. Sartre remained as editor of Libération until May 24, 1974.

The paper was initially run along non-hierarchical lines, with all staff – from the editor-in-chief to the janitor – receiving the same salary, but this later gave way to a "normal set-up". In the early 1980s it began to take advertisements and allowed external bodies to have a stake in its financing, which it had completely refused before, but continued to maintain a left-of-centre editorial stance.

[edit] Second period (1981 to present)

After several crises, Libération temporarily stopped being published in February 1981. It resumed publication on May 13 under a new format, with Serge July as new director.

Libération has a decidedly self-described progressive editorial line, generally supportive of causes such as anti-racism, feminism, and workers' rights. According to co-founder and current director Serge July [1], Libé is a militant newspaper that, however, does not support any particular political party, acts as a counter-power, and generally has bad relations with both left-wing and right-wing administrations. According to a deputy editor of Libé, Jean-Michel Helvig, Libération, though not affiliated with any political party is, from its 1968 origins, naturally left-wing.[2] However, Libé's opinion pages (rebonds) publish views from many political standpoints.

Libé is known for its sometimes alternative points of view on cultural and social events. For instance, in addition to reports about crimes and other events, it also chronicles daily criminal trials, bringing in a more human vision of petty criminals. As Serge July puts it [3], "the equation of Libération consisted in combining counter-culture and political radicalism". Critics contend, however, that this radicalism has largely receded since the 1970s and that Libé is no longer a truly left-wing newspaper [4]. The editors' decision, in 2005, to support the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was criticized by many of its readers, who later decided to vote "no" to a treaty seen as too liberal, lacking social views deemed necessary to the solid foundation of a "European nation".

[edit] Édouard de Rothschild's involvement

In 2005 Libération badly needed funds, and Serge July strove to bring convince the board to allow Édouard de Rothschild to buy a stake in the paper. The board agreed on 20 January, 2005.

Shortly thereafter, the matters began to deteriorate. On 25 November, 2005, the paper went on strike, protesting layoffs of 52 workers. <ref>Libération ? Un cas d’école pour la presse française ; L'Humanité ; 26 mai 2006</ref>. Libération began losing more and more money, and Rothschild decided that he wasn't playing an active enough role in the paper's management.<ref>Les raisons d'un divorce ; Le Figaro ; 14 juin 2006</ref>.

It was in this context, in May 2006, that the paper announced a week-end magazine called Libé week-end, with a supplement called Ecrans (covering television, internet and film), and another called R. (The latter was abandoned in September of the same year)

On 13 June 2006, Serge July told the editorial staff that Édouard de Rothschild was refusing to invest more money in the paper unless Louis Dreyfus (directeur général) and himself left the paper. July had accepted, believing the paper's future existence to depend on his decision. The journalists were shocked. The next day, they published a communiqué praising the paper's founder and expressing their worries about journalistic independence.<ref>Depuis trente-trois ans, Serge July, cofondateur de «Libération».... ; Libération ; 14 juin 2006</ref>. Serge July left the paper on 30 June, 2006<ref>« Pourquoi je quitte "Libération" » ; Serge July ; Libération ; 30 juin 2006 (article en ligne)</ref>.

« The orchestral conductor that I was bids you farewell.
The journalist who I am is infinitely sad no longer to be able to write here.
The reader that I shall remain bids you good-bye. »

This chain of events was widely discussed in the French press. In Le Monde there was a debate between Bernard Lallement, the first administrator-manager of Libération and Edouard de Rothschild. In a column published on 4 July, 2006, Lallement argued that July's departure was the end of an era where "writing meant something". Lallement painted a bleak picture of Libération's future, as well as that of the press as a whole. Lallement quoted Sartre, who had famously said that "Money doesn't have any ideas",<ref> Une complainte pour Libé ; Le Monde 4 juillet 2006</ref>. Later, on his blog, Lallement argued that Rothschild, who had had no historic attachment to the paper, was only interested in making money, not in the paper itself.<ref>Libé : un paradoxe très cavalier 6 July, 2006</ref>

On 6 July, the paper's new owner addressed Lallement's remarks. Rothschild said that "Libération needs help and moral, intellectual and financial support. Libération doesn't need a requiem."<ref>Libération n'a pas besoin de requiem ; Le Monde 6 juillet 2006</ref>

Recent circulation history: