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| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Compact |
| Owner | Bruno Ledoux |
| Editor | Dov Alfon |
| Founded | 1973; 52 years ago (1973) |
| Political alignment | Centre-left |
| Language | French |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Country | France |
| Circulation | 97,633 (total, 2022)[1] 9,900 (digital, 2018) |
| ISSN | 0335-1793 |
| Website | liberation.fr |
Libération (French pronunciation:[libeʁɑsjɔ̃]ⓘ), popularly known asLibé (pronounced[libe]), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris byJean-Paul Sartre andSerge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements ofMay 1968. Initially positioned on the far left of France's political spectrum, the editorial line evolved towards a more centre-left stance at the end of the 1970s,[2] where it remains as of 2012.[3]
The publication describes its "DNA" as being "liberal libertarian". It aims to act as a common platform for the diverse tendencies within theFrench Left, with its "compass" being "the defence of freedoms and of minorities".[4]Edouard de Rothschild's acquisition of a 37% capital interest in 2005,[5] and editor Serge July's campaign for the "yes" vote in thereferendum establishing a Constitution for Europe the same year,[6] alienated it from a number of its left-wing readers.[7]
In its early days, it was noted for its irreverent and humorous style and unorthodox journalistic culture. All employees, including management, received the same salary. In addition to traditional editor's notes, known asNote de la rédaction and marked as N.D.L.R., it included the innovative NDLC (note de la claviste), apt and witty comments inserted at the last moment by the typesetter.[8] It was the first French daily to have a website. It had a circulation of about 67,000 in 2018.[9]Libération has been considered anewspaper of record in France.[10]
Libération was founded by Jean-Paul Sartre, Philippe Gavi, Bernard Lallement, Jean-Claude Vernier, Pierre Victor aliasBenny Lévy andSerge July and was first published on 3 February 1973,[11] in the wake of the protest movements ofMay 1968.[12] Sartre remained editor ofLibération until 24 May 1974. During this period one of the contributors wasSamir Frangieh, a leftist Lebanese journalist.[13]
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 leaning[11] editorial stance.
After several crises,Libération temporarily stopped being published in February 1981. It resumed publication on 13 May under a new format, withSerge July as new director.[14]
AlthoughLibération is not affiliated with any political party, it has, from its theoretical origins in the May 1968 turmoil in France, a left-wing slant.[15] According to co-founder and former director Serge July,Libé was an activist 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.Libé's opinion pages (rebonds) publish views from many political standpoints. An example of their proclaimed independent, "counter-power" slant is when in 1993Libération leakedSocialist presidentFrançois Mitterrand's illegal wiretapping program.
Libération 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, "the equation ofLibération consisted in combining counter-culture and political radicalism".[16] The editors' decision, in 2005, to support theTreaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE) was criticized by many of its readers, who laterdecided to vote "no" to a treaty seen as tooneoliberal, lacking social views deemed necessary to the solid foundation of a "European nation".
On 11 December 2010,Libération started hosting a mirror of theWikiLeaks website, including theUnited States diplomatic cables and other document collections,[17] in solidarity with WikiLeaks, in order to prevent it from being "suffocated" by "governments and companies that were trying to block [WikiLeaks'] functioning without even a judicial decision".[18]
In June 2015,Libération, working with WikiLeaks, reported that the United StatesNational Security Agency had been secretly spying on the telephone conversations of presidentsJacques Chirac,Nicolas Sarkozy andFrançois Hollande from at least 2006 through 2012.[19][20]
In 2005Libération badly needed funds,[21] and Serge July strove to convince the board to allowÉdouard de Rothschild[21] to buy a stake in the paper. The board agreed on 20 January 2005. Social conflicts arose shortly after. On 25 November 2005, the paper went on strike, protesting against the layoff of 52 workers.[22] Rothschild, who had promised he would not interfere in editorial decisions, decided that he was not playing an active enough role in the paper's management.[23] In May 2006 the paper announced a weekend magazine calledLibé week-end, with a supplement calledEcrans (covering television, internet and film), and another calledR. (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 unlessLouis 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 public statement praising the paper's founder and expressing their worries about journalistic independence.[24] Serge July left the paper on 29[25] June 2006.[26]
A debate between Bernard Lallement, the first administrator-manager ofLibération and Edouard de Rothschild took place inLe Monde newspaper. 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 ofLibération's future, as well as that of the press as a whole. Criticizing Rothschild's interference, Lallement quoted Sartre, who had famously said that "Money doesn't have any ideas".[27] 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.[28] On 6 July, Rothschild declared: "Libération needs help and moral, intellectual and financial support.Libération doesn't need a requiem."[29]
Sixty-two employees—including 35 journalists, such as Antoine de Gaudemar, chief editor,Sorj Chalandon, who was awarded theAlbert Londres Prize, both present since the 1973 creation ofLibé, andPierre Haski, deputy editor, present since 1981—were about to resign at end of January 2007 (of a total of 276 employees). With the 55 other employees who left the newspaper at the end of 2005, this made a total of about 150 staff who had left since Rothschild's ownership, not including tens of resignations (including Florence Aubenas, Dominique Simonnot, Antoine de Baecque, Jean Hatzfeld)[30]
In May 2007, formerLibération journalists, including Pierre Haski andPascal Riché (Op-Ed editor ofLibération) created the news websiteRue 89.
In 2014, the newspaper once again found itself in the news, following a public dispute between its journalists and shareholders over the future of the newspaper. In the face of falling circulation the latter had sought to re-invent the paper's web site as a social network. The editor-in-chiefNicolas Demorand resigned over the row.[31]
| Year | France paid circulation |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 169,427 |
| 2000 | 169,011 |
| 2001 | 174,310 |
| 2002 | 164,286 |
| 2003 | 158,115 |
| 2004 | 146,109 |
| 2005 | 133,270 |
| 2006 | 142,557 |
| 2007 | 132,356 |
| 2008 | 123,317 |
| 2009 | 111,584 |
| 2010 | 113,108 |
| 2011 | 119,205 |
| 2012 | 119,418 |
| 2013 | 101,616 |
| 2014 | 93,781 |
| 2015 | 88,395 |
| 2016 | 73,331 |
| 2017 | 75,275 |
| 2018 | 67,238 |
| 2019 | 71,522 |
| 2020 | 76,522 |
French NGO responsible for surveying newspaper circulation
Nous avons choisi d'empêcher l'asphyxie de WikiLeaks à l'heure où des gouvernements et des entreprises cherchent à bloquer son fonctionnement sans même une décision de justice.
(article en ligneArchived 24 November 2006 at theWayback Machine)« 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. »
