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"Vincent Bolloré contributes to the pluralism of ideas": in "Le Télégramme", an editorial denounced by the editorial staff

"Vincent Bolloré contributes to the pluralism of ideas": in "Le Télégramme", an editorial denounced by the editorial staff

By Noah Megel

Published on

A demonstration against Vincent Bolloré on the beach at Cap Coz, in Fouesnant, Finistère, on May 24, 2025.

A demonstration against Vincent Bolloré on the beach at Cap Coz, in Fouesnant, Finistère, on May 24, 2025. ESTELLE RUIZ / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP

Hubert Coudurier, the newspaper's news director, had taken up the pen to defend the Breton billionaire in an editorial. The daily's Society of Journalists distanced itself from the text.

" The Society of Journalists dissociates itself from the editorial published in our columns on Sunday about Vincent Bolloré. " This Tuesday, May 27, the Society of Journalists of "Le Télégramme" (SJT) and the management of the Breton daily responded to each other through press releases.

The starting point, an editorial by Hubert Coudurier, the newspaper's news director, on the anti-Bolloré demonstration on Saturday, May 24, on a beach in Finistère. Organized by the collective Levons les voiles and Soulèvement de la Terre , the rally was initially planned to land on Loch Island in the Finistère archipelago, owned by Vincent Bolloré , who has been accused by associations of spreading far-right ideas in his media and publishing houses.

Since the boarding had been banned by the prefecture, some 300 people and around fifty boats invaded the beach at Cap Coz, not far from another property of the Breton billionaire, to chant slogans against the man in question.

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That same day, Hubert Coudurier took up his pen to defend the owner of, among others, CNews and the "JDD ", who " contributes to the pluralism of ideas " and whose " family business embodies [...] the success of Brittany " against an action which " recalls the practices of totalitarian regimes ".

"One drop too many"

This is too much for the SJT, relaunched two years ago in particular following Hubert Coudurier's editorials which " have long crystallized frustration ", which has chosen to publish a press release to underline its distance from the text of the director of information. Two internal press releases, already deploring his positions, had been shared in 2021 and 2024 by the organization to which half of the 220 journalists of the editorial staff belong. A few months earlier, the SJT had published another press release when Jean-Luc Mélenchon had described the newspaper as a "parish bulletin" which "manipulates its readers" .

Specifically, the SJT press release emphasizes that it is " misleading " to describe Vincent Bolloré as a contributor to " pluralism of ideas " when his " strategy of conquest deployed in the media sector to serve his ideology and interests has been widely documented ." The Society of Journalists also criticizes the editorial for not specifying that its author, Hubert Coudurier, is a regular columnist for CNews, a channel of the Vivendi group, owned by a certain Vincent Bolloré.

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" We have never felt prevented from covering a subject, but this editorial is a bit of a straw that broke the camel's back ," the SJT office told "Nouvel Obs. " What bothers us is that it implicates the entire editorial team by invoking the newspaper's independence. "

"The far left and the SJT"

In response, a new press release, this time from the management of "Le Télégramme," was sent to staff and then published on its social media. " The SJT is fighting the wrong battle: it is not about defending Mr. Bolloré or his ideas, but about denouncing the totalitarian drift of certain far-left movements ," it read.

"The " Télégramme " is independent and defends the pluralism of opinions, which is why it is useful to reaffirm that these have the right to be heard in the media space, even when they displease the far left and the SJT," the management continued. " We believe that the press release does not address the root of the problem ," the SJT responded to "Nouvel Obs," which confided that it did not know what the next step in the dialogue would be.

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It should be noted that Hubert Coudurier, the author of the editorial of discord, is the son of Jean-Pierre Coudurier, former president of the daily from 1961 to 2001, himself the son of Marcel Coudurier, director of "la Dépêche de Brest et de l'Ouest" - a former daily replaced by "le Télégramme" in 1944 - and CEO of the newspaper from 1947 to 1961, himself the son of Louis Coudurier, former editor-in-chief of "la Dépêche de Brest et de l'Ouest". Hubert Coudurier's brother, Edouard, is the current chairman of the board and owner of the Télégramme group.

Le Nouvel Observateur

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