Marianne (magazine)

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For the first Marianne magazine, see Marianne (magazine, 1932–1940).

Front page
The 14 April 2007 front page of
Marianne (bestseller)
TypeWeekly magazine
FormatCompact
Owner(s)Czech Media Invest
Editor-in-chiefNatacha Polony (redaction chief)
Founded1997
Political alignment
HeadquartersParis
Circulation135,536 (2020)
ISSN1275-7500
Websitewww.marianne.net

Marianne (French pronunciation: [maʁjan]) is a weekly Paris-based French news magazine founded in 1997 by Jean-François Kahn and Maurice Szafran.

Its original political slant was described as left-wing in the 2010s it shifted towards a more right-wing, sovereigntist editorial line.

While the magazine had been majority-owned by Yves de Chaisemartin, 91% of the capital was sold to Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský in 2018, with Natacha Polony taking over as managing editor.

History and profile[edit]

Founded with a left-wing republican line in 1997[edit]

Marianne was created in 1997[1] by Jean-François Kahn[2][3] with Maurice Szafran as editorialist. Its title takes up that of Marianne (magazine, 1932–1940), a former left-leaning political and literary journal which was published in Paris in the 1930s, now defunct magazine. At its creation, the editorial line of the magazine was perceived as being rather left-wing.[4][5][6]

In 1997, in its first issue, the magazine devoted a special report to the Agusta-Dassault affair. The french businessman Serge Dassault tried to have the publication banned, and had the first issue seized after three days on sale. The latter presented him as “the tricolor emperor of corruption”.[7]

2007 presidential election[edit]

During the 2007 French presidential election Marianne conducted a strong anti-Sarkozy campaign in the magazine including a special issue released on April 14~20 (#521), the day before the vote, arguing that right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy was "insane" (which was the title of a previous issue)[8] in a negative portrait "of all dangers" (de tous les dangers). Such aggressive practice rather common in Great Britain and the United States is unusual in France.

Issue #521 "The Real Sarkozy" (Le Vrai Sarkozy) was named after the popular anti-Sarkozy propaganda video first released on July 5, 2006, in online services – as Dailymotion (+2,132,686 views) French counterpart of YouTube (+927,770) – by left wing supporters group RéSo (close to the French Socialist Party's Dominique Strauss-Kahn wing) author of the "AntiSarko" 2005 online campaign, which became the magazine's best seller (580,000 copies).[9] It was since then made online for free in the magazine's website.[10] The issue sold well with an exceptional out of print and two reprints,[9] but some journalists argued that the criticisms against Sarkozy actually strengthened Sarkozy's supporters per the victimization process.

The previous issue's (#520) cover titled "Sarkozy's fault: he chose Bush's America against Chirac's France" (La faute de Sarkozy: Il choisit l'Amérique de Bush contre la France de Chirac)[11] as a reference to Sarkozy having been one of the few French politicians initially supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq which has been described by the French far-left and left-wing as a "fault",[12] as well as by a part of the Gaullist right-wing as a "mistake".

In February 2008, the magazine launched the “February 14th appeal” for republican vigilance, signed by 17 political figures from all walks of life, reaffirming their attachment to republican principles, secularism and the independence of the press, and their support for the major options that have guided France's foreign policy for the past fifty years. These include Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Dominique de Villepin, Ségolène Royal and François Bayrou.[13]

In 2009, sales of Marianne fell by 18.7%. According to Le Monde, the editorial team is divided into two groups: sovereigntist republicans in the tradition of Jean-François Kahn, the magazine's founder who left in 2007, and social-democrats. This divide prevents Marianne from taking a stand on certain social issues, such as undocumented immigrants and police blunders.[14]

Investigative journalism development and election year (2010-2012)[edit]

In 2010 and 2011, the weekly Marianne increased its sales thanks to its publications on the Bettencourt affair, in which it competed with Mediapart.[15] Marianne published an investigation including a new facsimile of the diary of Liliane Bettencourt's ex-treasurer.[16]

In 2010, a Marianne investigation revealed that Robert Barcia, founder and leader of the Trotskyist Lutte Ouvrière party, had been dead for over a year.[17][18]

In 2011, at a Marianne seminar, investigative reporting was defined as one of the magazine's key priorities for the 2012 election year.[15]

The magazine offers a web version called Marianne 2, renamed Marianne in 2012, designed and directed by Philippe Cohen until 2012. The designer of Marianne 2, Pierre Cohen, was forced to resign in 2012 by Maurice Szafran following the publication of a biography of Jean-Marie Le Pen (co-written with Pierre Péan) deemed too complacent.[15][19]

In 2012, documents revealed by Marianne showed influence peddling by Lyonnaise des Eaux, which had worked with the firm Vae Solis to “discredit” the local action of the Les lacs de l'Essonne agglomeration community.[20][21]

In the same year, after the departure of journalists Nicolas Beau and Stéphanie Marteau, Le Monde interpreted this event as the closure of the magazine's Investigation unit. The weekly's deputy editor denied this, and replied that, on the contrary, Marianne was evolving in the direction of a stronger investigative section.[15][22]

In April 2012, Marianne's editorial team published the voting intentions of the weekly's journalists for the French presidential election: François Hollande (left-wing) received 40% of the vote, ahead of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (far-left) (31.7%), with François Bayrou (social-democrat) and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (sovereignism) tied for 3rd place at 8.3%. Three candidates received no votes at all: Nicolas Sarkozy (right), Marine Le Pen (nationalism) and Nathalie Arthaud (communism).[23] 74% of Marianne's readership voted for a left-wing candidate in the first round.[24]

Magazine redesign in 2013[edit]

As of June 29, 2013, the magazine is completely overhauled, taking the name "Le Nouveau Marianne". It remains under the direction of Maurice Szafran, who declares his desire to create a magazine with a “pedagogical” layout and a content mix of “short papers and long articles, without medium-sized papers”. Yves de Chaisemartin sidelined Maurice Szafran and Laurent Neumann to become the ultra-majority shareholder, with 86% of the capital. Joseph Macé-Scaron and Frederick Cassegrain, formerly of Le Figaro, are appointed editorial director and managing director.[25]

In 2013, the magazine provided exclusive evidence in the Élysée polls affair, in which Nicolas Sarkozy was suspected of having commissioned surveys for his own campaign, paid for with public money.[26][27]

In 2014, in the Bygmalion affair, the weekly managed to obtain the UMP's internal report compiling, among other things, the list of fictitious conventions invoiced at the party's request.[28] The same year, Marianne published recordings of threats made against a deputy mayor in one of the offices of the UDI mayor of Bobigny, which included Jean-Christophe Lagarde's chief of staff.[29]

In 2015, Marianne stirred up controversy when it revealed that UMP officials and FN personalities had spent New Year's Eve together.[30]

In 2017, extracts from documents published by Marianne and Mediapart showed that the European Anti-Fraud Office suspected a “fictitious employment contract” at the European Parliament for Marine Le Pen's bodyguard[31].

Recovery plan and editorial identity crisis in 2017[edit]

At the end of 2017, the Paris Commercial Court approved Marianne's receivership (in progress since 2016), which included a refocusing of the magazine's activities and a reduction in its workforce.[32][5] Internally, the magazine is going through an identity crisis concerning its editorial line. Part of the editorial staff calls for clarification and denounces editorial choices.[5]

Daniel Křetínský's takeover and adoption of a sovereignist line in 2018[edit]

After its takeover in April 2018 by Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, a French speaker since studying in Dijon in 1995 and married to Anna Kellner, daughter of the Czech Republic's first fortune[33], the weekly takes a new turn under the direction of Natacha Polony. Daniel Křetínský simplifies Marianne's structure and incorporates it into its parent company, CMI France.[34]

In 2018, Marianne uncovers a conflict of interest involving Françoise Nyssen, the Minister of Culture, in the awarding of subsidies to a publishing company she owns[35].

In 2019, Le Monde described Marianne's new editorial line as “more sovereignist” and director Natacha Polony as “sovereignist ”.[36] For the left-wing newspaper Libération, the editorial line became “sovereignist and anti-liberal” after the arrival of Natacha Polony.[37] A year after Natacha Polony's arrival, half of the editorial staff's forty journalists left the company.[38][36]

In 2021, for Hadrien Mathoux, who covers politics for the magazine, Marianne “criticizes the left, but to reflect on its own errors and the cause of its failures”. Pauline Bock of Arrêt sur images believes that it is in fact above all the left inspired by the new anti-racist and feminist militantism that is continually targeted, the left that the magazine groups into “obsessed with race, sex, gender, identity”; a former journalist explains with: “Marianne's theory is that by obsessing over the societal and abandoning the social, the left has lost the working classes and pushed them into the arms of the FN”. According to Pauline Bock, criticism of the left is far more present in Marianne than criticism of the RN, and the magazine's left-wing markers, such as criticism of neoliberalism, are made invisible by the mass of societal articles.[39]

Election and front page in favor of Emmanuel Macron in 2022[edit]

In April 2022, between the two rounds of the presidential election, Marianne's Society of Editors denounced a “direct intervention” by the paper's main shareholder, Daniel Křetínský, to change the front cover of the issue to be published. Continuing a series of anti-Macron front pages, the original version of the cover should show the eyes of two candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen with the headline “Anger or chaos?”, without taking sides. But the final text, “Despite the anger... ...avoid the chaos”, clearly announces a preference for Emmanuel Macron. For the editorial team, this intervention by the majority owner, Daniel Křetínský, “represents a serious attack on Marianne's editorial independence”. It came after he had twice promised journalists that he would respect this basic principle. For Libération, Daniel Křetínský's accusation of interventionism by Marianne's editorial staff feeds suspicions of collusion between media owners and Emmanuel Macron.[40]

Publication of investigations and change of format (2023-2024)[edit]

In 2023, Marianne journalist Gabriel Libert is behind the revelation of the politico-financial scandal surrounding Minister Marlène Schiappa's “Marianne fund” (the magazine's namesake). The investigation revealed the opaque management of subsidies from the fund, and resulted in the Minister's dismissal for lying, instrumentalizing the murder of Samuel Paty and using public subsidies for political ends. In particular, the subsidies were used to pay essayist Mohamed Sifaoui.[41][42][43]

In 2023, a report by Marianne's investigations unit revealed that the government had lied on the issue of motorway concessions, and revealed particularly opaque negotiating conditions. This would have enabled Vinci, Eiffage and other companies to benefit from excess profits of 9 billion euros. Following this publication, the Paris public prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the use of forgeries, involving, among others, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, and the government's secretary general, Claire Landais.[44][45][46]

In July 2023, following an investigation by Marianne based on a report by the Cour des Comptes, the Parquet National Financier opened a preliminary investigation into illegal interest-taking. The weekly had revealed that more than 200 Bpifrance employees - including CEO Nicolas Dufourcq - had “massively invested” in a fund dubbed “Bpifrance Entreprises 1”. The fund, designed to make it “easier for French people to invest their savings in French companies”, is said to have enabled investors to double their stake in two and a half years.[47]

In September 2023, Morocco expelled two of the magazine's journalists who were investigating King Mohammed VI and “human rights violations” in the country.[48]

In early 2024, Marianne's investigative unit was strengthened with the recruitment of journalist Marc Endeweld.[49]

In March 2024, Marianne launched a new formula with a lower selling price (from €4.40 to €3.50) and reduced pagination (from 88 to 52 pages).[50][51] This included a new layout and a new slogan, “La vérité n'a pas de maître” (“Truth has no master”). The front page moves away from the “news magazine” model, taking its cue from the daily press. The formula contained a greater amount of investigative reporting, and put an end to the classic columns, replaced by Marianne “reveals”, “deciphers”, “proposes”, “recounts” and “debates”.[52][53]

In April 2024, Daniel Křetínský sought to sell the magazine, whose sovereignist line was at odds with his Europhile and liberal positions.[54][55]

Organization[edit]

The main shareholder was the company of Robert Assaraf with 49.4% of the shares.[56] Czech Media Invest, owner of Czech News Center, acquired most of the magazine from Yves de Chaisemartin in 2018.[57]

Marianne claims a circulation of 300,000 copies per week, reaching a peak of 580,000, with the French news magazine record-breaker "The Real Sarkozy" in April 2007.[9] During the period of 2007–2008 the circulation of the magazine was 275,000 copies.[58] It was 264,000 copies in 2010[59] and about 146,000 in late 2016.[60]

See also[edit]

  • Marianne, the publication's namesake and symbol of France

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Historical development of the media in France" (PDF). McGraw-Hill Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  2. ^ Lawrence D. Kritzman; Brian J. Reilly (2007). The Columbia History of Twentieth-Century French Thought. Columbia University Press. p. 722. ISBN 978-0-231-10790-7. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  3. ^ "France -- Media Guide 2008" (PDF). Open Source Center. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Natacha Polony à la tête de la rédaction de " Marianne "". Les Echos (in French). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Marianne retrouve son souffle, "mais qu'est-ce qu'on en fait maintenant ?" | Les Inrocks". www.lesinrocks.com/ (in French). Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  6. ^ "20h Médias : le magazine Marianne penche "Valeurs Actuelles", Natacha Polony assume". MYTF1 (in French). 12 October 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ^ "DEUX MARCHÉS AÉRIENS TRUQUÉS AU SOL". Le Soir (in French). 1 September 1998. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  8. ^ Marianne #? Sarkozy est-il fou?, 27 November 2006)
  9. ^ a b c 80,000 new units of Marianne's issue about "The True Sarkozy" Archived 2007-08-23 at the Wayback Machine, Marianne, 19 April 2007
  10. ^ Marianne #521, 14 April 2007
  11. ^ Marianne #520, 7 April 2007
  12. ^ "Controversy around Sarkozy's trip, AFP French press agency / TF1-LCI private national channel, 11 September 2006". Archived from the original on 3 November 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  13. ^ "Royal, Bayrou, Villepin: ensemble contre «la monarchie élective»". Libération (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Le modèle éditorial de "Marianne" s'essouffle". Le Monde.fr (in French). 4 March 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d "L'investigation menacée à Marianne". lejdd.fr (in French). 19 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Affaire Bettencourt : un mystérieux rendez-vous "Patrice et trésorier"". Franceinfo (in French). 1 November 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  17. ^ "La très discrète disparition de Robert Barcia, alias Hardy, fondateur de Lutte Ouvrière". Le Monde.fr (in French). 16 September 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  18. ^ "La mort secrète du gourou de Lutte ouvrière". leparisien.fr (in French). 17 September 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Pourquoi Péan et Cohen sont inaudibles sur Le Pen". SudOuest.fr (in French). 17 February 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Amard attaque la Lyonnaise". leparisien.fr (in French). 20 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Plainte contre une filiale de la Lyonnaise des eaux pour délit d'initié". paris.maville.com (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ^ "L'hebdomadaire "Marianne" ferme sa cellule investigation". Le Monde.fr (in French). 18 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Arrêt sur images". www.arretsurimages.net. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  24. ^ Marianne, Philippe Cohen- (27 April 2012). "La couleur politique des médias". www.marianne.net (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  25. ^ "Jean-François Kahn ne prendra pas la tête du Nouveau Marianne". L'Express (in French). 21 June 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  26. ^ Alemagna, Lilian. "Les sondages de l'Elysée se sont évaporés". Libération (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  27. ^ "Les sondages de Sarkozy introuvables". Le Figaro (in French). 28 March 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Affaire Bygmalion : les étranges conventions à 299.000 euros". Le Figaro (in French). 13 June 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  29. ^ "Video. Bobigny: une élue municipale se dit menacée de mort". leparisien.fr (in French). 17 July 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  30. ^ "Nouvel an des Jeunes UMP-FN : vers des sanctions ?". Le Point (in French). 2 January 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Marine Le Pen nie avoir reconnu des emplois fictifs d'assistants au Parlement européen". La Tribune (in French). 17 February 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Marianne va mettre en oeuvre un plan de redressement". Le Figaro (in French). 22 August 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  33. ^ "Qui est vraiment Kretinsky, le Tchèque qui rachète la presse française ?". leparisien.fr (in French). 28 October 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  34. ^ "Daniel Kretínský intègre Marianne dans CMI France et prépare un hebdo pro-européen - 01/04/2021". La Lettre (in French). 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  35. ^ Garnier, Lise (16 July 2018). "Françoise Nyssen : la généreuse subvention touchée par son ancienne maison d'édition". Capital.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  36. ^ a b "A « Marianne », Natacha Polony assume son virage éditorial plus souverainiste". Le Monde.fr (in French). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  37. ^ Lefilliâtre, Jérôme. "«Marianne», une Bastille déjà tombée". Libération (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  38. ^ Andraca, Robin. "«Marianne» se fait-il coloniser par Polony.tv ?". Libération (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  39. ^ Bock, Pauline (16 June 2021). "L'hebdo Marianne se voit-il encore à gauche ?". Arrêt sur Images (in French).
  40. ^ "La rédaction du magazine « Marianne » en ébullition après la « une » pro-Macron". Le Monde.fr (in French). 22 April 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  41. ^ "Terminer le travail d'un journaliste décédé : comment une enquête de « Marianne » a pu aboutir". La Revue des Médias (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  42. ^ "Fonds Marianne : les enjeux et les rebondissements de l'affaire qui met en cause Marlène Schiappa". Le Monde.fr (in French). 16 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  43. ^ Libert, Gabriel; Andrieu, Gérald (29 March 2023). "Schiappa, Gravel, Sifaoui… Révélations sur l'argent évaporé du fonds contre le séparatisme". www.marianne.net (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  44. ^ "Concession des autoroutes : une plainte déposée après un soupçon de faux du gouvernement". lejdd.fr (in French). 20 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  45. ^ "Bruno Le Maire visé par une enquête préliminaire pour faux en écriture publique dans le dossier des autoroutes". lejdd.fr (in French). 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  46. ^ "Concessions d'autoroutes : Bruno Le Maire visé par une enquête pour usage de faux". Franceinfo (in French). 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  47. ^ "Un investissement de collaborateurs de Bpifrance signalé pour des soupçons de conflit d'intérêts". leparisien.fr (in French). 21 July 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  48. ^ "Le Maroc expulse deux journalistes français". bladinet (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  49. ^ "Le journaliste Marc Endeweld rejoint Marianne, qui renforce son service enquête - 09/02/2024". La Lettre (in French). 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  50. ^ "Le magazine « Marianne » va réduire de moitié sa pagination". Le Figaro (in French). 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  51. ^ Schwyter, Adrien (21 March 2024). "A la conquête de nouveaux lecteurs, l'hebdo Marianne fait peau neuve et baisse son prix". Challenges (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  52. ^ Franque, Adrien. "Nouvelle formule de «Marianne» : «On n'a pas envie d'accompagner le déclin de la presse hebdomadaire sans rien faire»". Libération (in French). Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  53. ^ "Marianne dévoile une nouvelle formule "culottée"". CB News (in French). 19 March 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  54. ^ "Daniel Kretinsky cherche à vendre l'hebdomadaire Marianne - 15/04/2024". La Lettre (in French). 1 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  55. ^ "Daniel Kretinsky envisage de céder l'hebdomadaire « Marianne »". Le Monde.fr (in French). 15 April 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  56. ^ esj-lille.fr Archived 2006-11-16 at the Wayback Machine
  57. ^ "Billionaire Daniel Kretinsky's Czech Media Invest Bids On French Weekly Marianne". Prague Business Journal. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  58. ^ Anne Austin; et al. (2008). "Western Europe Market & Media Fact" (PDF). ZenithOptimedia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  59. ^ "Western Europe Media Facts. 2011 Edition" (PDF). ZenithOptimedia. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  60. ^ Partenariats: Mediapart attaque Marianne. Dommage colatéral à Libé, Arrêt Sur Images, 1 February 2017

External links[edit]

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