France: fears about editorial independence at Le Figaro

Yesterday, the Barclay brothers promised not to interfere with the Daily Telegraph’s editorial policies (see former posting). This puts them in stark contrast with French industrial aeronautics tycoon Serge Dassault, who after buying the French publishing company Socpresse last week, immediately stated his intention to have a hand in the editorial positions of the 70 publications he now owns (including Le Figaro and three major regional newspapers). In fact, Le Monde reported last week that Dassault has been known to explicitly state his desire to acquire newspapers in order to hoist his political opinions on the public, a fact that has the French journalism community concerned about the effect consolidation will have on the diversity of views present in the French press. The Barclay brothers are experienced newspaper publishers who own The Scotsman (and formerly The European).

Source: Libération (in French)