"Questions and concerns". The SDJ (Society of Journalists) of the radio France Info reacted this Monday in a statement to the cancellation of the arrival of Patrick Cohen to present the morning of its antenna. Le Parisien told you Saturday how the journalist had been promised the reins of this program, before seeing them abruptly removed.
"Questions and concerns run through the editorial staff of France Info after the publication last weekend of several articles in the press, about the refused arrival of Patrick Cohen in the morning of France Info to replace Marc Fauvelle at the beginning of the school year," writes the LDS.
Press release from the LDS of @franceinfo concerning the "non-arrival" of Patrick Cohen at the morning. pic.twitter.com/3tzaWC2VZJ
— Yann Bertrand (@YannBertrand) May 29, 2023
"Contemptuous of all France Info staff"
According to our information, but also that of Le Monde, Laurence Bloch, director of Radio France's antennas, strongly contributed to preventing his arrival. "I am the victim of a vendetta," he told our newspaper.
The negotiation of Patrick Cohen's arrival was decided while she was absent, on vacation. On her return, she learned the news and "threatened to resign" if the journalist was hired, a witness told Le Parisien. "Hyper resentful", according to one of his relatives, the director of the antennas would have experienced as a betrayal the departure, in 2017, of Patrick Cohen for Europe 1. He was then at the head of the morning of France Inter.
On the other hand, the editorial staff of France Inter would have been worried about a competition between its morning - first morning of France - and that of Info, if Patrick Cohen took it in hand. Especially since the radio with red microphones is already turned upside down by a reshuffle of the grid.
The LDS writes that it hopes "that this talented journalist was not dismissed because he was too good for the antenna of France Info or for reasons of personal revenge," as this would be "contemptuous of all France Info staff and contrary to the interest of the station."
"A choice in the interest of the group"
Taking words from our article, she also ensures that "talking about a battle between the two stations (France Inter and France Info, Editor's note) seems far from the realities we all live every day".
For its part, the management of France Info told Le Parisien to have "made a choice in the interest of the group", because "Patrick Cohen has a profile too close to France Inter" and that it was necessary "someone different to France Info".
Patrick Cohen, who presented since 2021 the show L'Esprit public on France Culture, announced the end of all collaboration with Radio France.
