The head of the international department still needs to convince the editorial staff in an internal vote this week, after an initial contested choice, and in a transitional context for the newspaper.
The head of the international department of Libération, Sonia Delesalle-Stolper, has been proposed as the editor-in-chief to replace Dov Alfon after the failure of Nicolas Barré’s candidacy, the left-wing newspaper announced in a statement on Monday. The journalists at Libération now have to approve this choice in a vote, in accordance with the newspaper’s statutes. It will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, after a “grand oral” from Sonia Delesalle-Stolper in front of the editorial staff on Tuesday, according to an internal source cited by AFP.
“Proposing, for the first time in the history of Libération, a woman at its helm, who has spent the majority of her career abroad and dedicated most of her work to international affairs, is a choice of renewal and openness,” said Denis Olivennes, president of the main shareholder company of Libération, in a statement. Sonia Delesalle-Stolper has been working at Libération for seventeen years. She has been at the head of the international department for five years, after working as a correspondent in the UK.
Context
– Libération is a left-wing French newspaper known for its progressive views and independent journalism.
Fact Check
– Nicolas Barré, an initial candidate for the editor-in-chief position, faced opposition from Libération journalists due to his background in economically liberal newspapers.
If approved by Libération journalists, she will become editor-in-chief, publishing director, and co-manager of the newspaper. Her name was proposed three weeks after Nicolas Barré, former executive of Le Figaro and Les Echos, withdrew his candidacy, which was initially Denis Olivennes’ choice. The name of Nicolas Barré immediately faced opposition from Libération journalists due to his background in economically liberal newspapers.
This appointment process was triggered by the surprise announcement on April 8 of Dov Alfon’s departure, who expressed his desire to focus on his career as a writer. As the respected head of the editorial staff since 2020, the Franco-Israeli journalist contributed to the revival of Libération and accelerated its transition to digital.
In the context of a generalized press crisis, the newspaper is not immune to economic difficulties. According to the media outlet L’Informé, Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has bailed out the newspaper four times since 2022, most recently in December with €17 million, totaling €59 million. From 2014 to 2020, Libération belonged to the Altice group owned by billionaire Patrick Drahi, who then transferred it to a fund aimed at ensuring its independence, the “Fonds de dotation pour une presse indépendante” (FDPI).
