Libération: "Salut Serge!"
The French daily Libération published today the last column of its editor-in-chief for 33 years,
Serge July. Two weeks after chief shareholder Edouard de Rothschild asked him to leave amid a financial crisis at the leading left-wing paper, July said he was "extremely sad" to be quitting after 30 years.
What is totally clear in this last column is that Serge July didn't want to resign: he was forced out by the main shareholder. What is not clear is the result of the bargaining between the editor and the shareholder: two weeks ago, July said, "OK, I am ready to leave if Rothschild invests 15 million euros (18 million US $) more in the newspaper (after 20 million euros in November 2004)". But today the shareholder didn't announce his final decision, asking for new savings between three and six million euros.
Serge July will certainly continue to write columns, but no more in Libération! It's a "divorce à la française" with some confusion: six months ago a majority of journalists refused to hear their editor in a general assembly and today the newsroom reacts as an orphan dedicating the cover page and seven pages to the leave: one fifth of the today's newspaper!
Source: Liberation
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![Digg](http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.editorsweblog.org%2F2006%2F06%2Fliberation_salut_serge.php&bodytext=<p>The French daily Libération published today the last column of its editor-in-chief for 33 years,<img width="167" height="224" border="0" title="liberation cover page" alt="liberation cover page" src="http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/T3_UNE_2006_06_30.jpg" /> <strong>Serge July</strong>. Two weeks after chief shareholder <strong>Edouard de Rothschild</strong> asked him to leave amid a financial crisis at the leading left-wing paper, July said he was "extremely sad" to be quitting after 30 years.</p><p>What is totally clear in this last column is that Serge July didn't want to resign: he was forced out by the main shareholder. What is not clear is the result of the bargaining between the editor and the shareholder: two weeks ago, July said, "OK, I am ready to leave if Rothschild invests 15 million euros (18 million US $) more in the newspaper (after 20 million euros in November 2004)". But today the shareholder didn't announce his final decision, asking for new savings between three and six million euros. </p><p>Serge July will certainly continue to write columns, but no more in Libération! It's a "divorce à la française" with some confusion: six months ago a majority of journalists refused to hear their editor in a general assembly and today the newsroom reacts as an orphan dedicating the cover page and seven pages to the leave: one fifth of the today's newspaper!<br /> </p><p>Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=394489">Liberation</a><br /> </p>&title=Libération: "Salut Serge!"){kind=link}
A consultant always has to keep confidentiality about any conversation with his clients, but today, and Serge July I am sure will forgive me, I made an exception that you can read in my tribute to Serge in my blog http://innovationsinnewspapers.com/