Some background: LVMH luxury group, owned by Bernard Arnault, just recently finalized its acquisition of the leading business daily Les Echos. Staffers had gone on strike and protested for the past months, worried by possible conflicts of interest and threats to editorial independence were LVMH to own the paper.

Beytout’s family owned Les Echos until 1988, when it was sold to British publisher Pearson. So Beytout’s appointment as the head of DI Group is a symbolic return to the paper, although he won’t directly be its editor.

From the interview:

Is the increasingly centralized ownership of newspapers within the hands of major businessmen a problem for democracy?

“One must be very attentive to the “industrialization” of the press. It’s a difficult sector, generally considered to be low-yield. But the fact that businessmen are interested in this sector should be treated as an opportunity rather than a danger. It all depends on how the businessman wishes to use his shareholder’s influence,” said Beytout.

Staffers worry that conflicts of interest will arise…

“The best guarantee of independence I can give is what I did at the Figaro these last three years, where the newsroom, under my management, had total freedom from its shareholder,” said Beytout.

Will Les Echos really remain independent?

“The independence of a newspaper results from its tradition, its boss, and the work of its newsroom. If, additionally, a legal context guarantees this independence, as is the case for Les Echos, that gives the possibility to work freely.”

Beytout also said that he would hold on to the current staff of the paper.

Source: Lemonde.fr