Reworld will launch a new version of Psychologies Magazine on Wednesday without its original journalists, almost all of whom have chosen to leave the monthly after its takeover in the spring by the media group, according to information from Correspondence de la presse, confirmed to the press. AFP by several sources.
The French publisher (Grazia, Science et Vie, Top Santé, Biba, Marie France etc...) with a sulphurous reputation had formalized the acquisition of the Psychologies group in June.
Reworld Media has made a name for itself in recent years through its numerous magazine acquisitions and sometimes controversial methods.
Thus, journalists from Science et Vie, in disagreement with their owner, left to create the competitor Epsiloon.
Since then, “
most employees have activated their transfer clause
” which allows them to leave a media with compensation when there is a change of owner, indicated the Correspondence de la presse.
According to her, three people remained in the editorial staff out of "
fifteen journalists
".
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Contacted, the management of Reworld declined to comment.
"
There is no longer anyone in the editorial office, it's so sad
," told AFP a journalist who left the monthly this summer and wishes to remain anonymous.
The fears of the editorial staff vis-à-vis the new shareholder, his "
managerial methods
" and the "
ethical problems
" denounced by other employees of the group motivated the departures, she added.
But journalists had been suffering "
for years
" before Reworld arrived, the two sources said, citing difficult working conditions and staff reductions decided in 2018 and 2021.
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Founded in 1970, the magazine was taken over in the 1990s by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber, focusing on themes such as personal development.
It was bought in 2008 by Lagardère, then in 2014 by 4B Media, a Belgian consortium of which the press publisher Rossel is a member.
Retaining most of its sections, the formula launched on Wednesday aims to be "
brighter and more committed
", according to a press release from Reworld, with "
new sections centered on self-esteem, body esteem, the links between appearance and our relationship to others
.
Sales of Psychologies Magazine fell to 156,675 copies in 2021-2022, (-5.14% year on year), according to data from the Alliance for Press and Media Figures (ACPM).
Last week, the editorial staff of Gamekult, a website specializing in video games acquired by Reworld, announced its resignation, denouncing a “
hostile
” context for the independence of the press.