34.Characteristics of the daily newspapers "Figoro", "Liberation"

Figaro Among the Parisian newspapers, the strongest positions in the late 70s and early 80s. occupied Figaro. French observers attributed it to profitable publications, although profits were provided to it by magazine supplements through advertising. The first application, Figaro-Magazine, was released in October 1978. This innovation of Ersan was picked up by the publishers of almost all the daily Parisian newspapers. The attempt to create Sunday editions of newspapers failed because of the difficulties of distribution: most of the newsstands in Paris were closed on Sunday, and Magazine du Dimanche, the only Sunday newspaper, had its own distribution system, which its competitors could not use. Applications in the form of illustrated magazines, which are distributed with the daily newspaper at the end of the week for free or for a small price, contribute to the increase in demand for the daily newspaper. By early 1981, Figaro-Shop, Maten-Shop, Equipment-Shop, Liberation-Sandwich and Mond Dimansh, as well as Figaro-TV, were regularly published on Saturdays on Saturdays and “ Madame Figaro "on Saturdays once a month. Hoping for a similar success, Ersan in 1981 began to produce "France-Suar-shop." The advantage gained by the daily newspaper is double: the application allows, on the one hand, to win new readers, who may start buying the newspaper not only on Saturdays, on the other hand, it gives an opportunity to increase revenues as from sales (newspapers are selling more expensive ), and from advertising. Daily Parisian newspapers that belonged to Ersan - Figaro, Oror, and Frans-Soir — remained loyal to the former President both during the election period and after coming to the Elysee Palace by F. Mitterand. Ersan's press without hesitation rose in opposition to the left government and launched a campaign against the socio-economic reforms proposed by the new majority. Political changes in the country associated with the victory in the 1981 elections of the socialists and the clear opposition of the newspaper, contributed to the growth of its spread: 336 thousand copies. in 1981, 443 thousand - in 1986, Figaro has a daily application. Ten pink pages containing economic and financial information are a separate notebook. Figaro remains the main publication of the Sokpress branch of the Ersana group. But its distribution in the late 90s. began to decline. The editors set themselves the task of updating the formula of the newspaper. Indeed, since the early 1990s, although advertising revenues were significant, the distribution of the newspaper, and especially its readership, has steadily decreased. A new formula was prepared for almost a year under the guidance of the chief editor F.-O. Gisbere. The task was to attract new readers and, not frightening changes, not to alienate old ones. In the first issue of the updated newspaper, which was published on November 29, 1999, an article titled “Figaro”, the newspaper closest to its readers, was published in the “Media and Advertising” section of the economic supplement. “Figaro seeks to become a newspaper more modern, dynamic, open” [1] , the author writes. The first pages of the newspaper are devoted to international information, with a whole page being allotted to Europe. Then follow publications on the problems of domestic politics, society, and regional life. The turn in the center of the newspaper is given under the heading "Debate and Opinion." In an interview with the Le Monde newspaper on November 30, 1999, President-General Director Yves de Chezmartin explains the editorial board’s choice as follows: “We change the order of materials by posting news first and then opinions. Previously, the newspaper opened with an editorial. The reader began to get acquainted with the number of the article in which the position has already been expressed. Now we moved the editorial to the center of the newspaper, significantly expanding the space for debate. The newspaper will be open to expressing different opinions, polemics and interactivity through the reader's mail. ” “The newspaper, more than ever, is free, independent of political, economic and financial power. Her real owners are her readers ... She clearly adheres to liberal values. ”With regard to the appearance of the newspaper, first of all, we can note a more“ free ”layout, use of color, change of font in the name of the newspaper. The creators of the new formula sought to facilitate the process of reading the newspaper. This is facilitated not only by a more free layout, but also by the hierarchization of information and its announcement so that the reader can easily find what interested him. In November 1999, the spread of Figaro was about 380 thousand copies. In order to promote the new formula to the newspaper market and attract new readers, an advertising campaign was conducted, part of which was the distribution of coupons for 5 free numbers of Figaro at the exits from the subway and at the newsstands. "Liberation" "Liberation" remained in the early 80s. the only Parisian newspaper that managed to increase circulation within ten years. In the 80s. after cardinal changes and attracting advertising, it turned into a classic capitalist enterprise, becoming more moderate in its political views, but relied on critical reports and investigations. Its distribution grew (70 thousand copies in 1982, 138.5 thousand copies in 1985, 165.5 thousand copies in 1986). In 1988, "Liberation" reaches its apogee in its distribution (195 thousand copies). This was due to the second victory of Mitterrand in the presidential election and the arrival of the socialists in the government. Its capital belonged to journalists of the newspaper and a number of major industrialists and financiers associated with the socialist party. Mitterrand's supporters tried to turn the newspaper into a kind of unofficial government body, but Liberation did not at all try to openly side with the government. It allowed some criticism of certain aspects of its activities. But the magazine "Eco de la presse et de la püblisite" wrote in 1984: "Liberation" is almost the official newspaper of the current government. " The renewal of the newspaper “Liberation”, undertaken in the first half of the 90s, required additional investments. Moreover, this process coincided with a technological explosion that caused the rapid spread of communications and expanded the flow of information from various sources. All this requires profound changes in the way information is presented in the media and delivered to the consumer. If during the first week the sale of a newspaper in Paris increased by 20 thousand copies, then after ten days it returned to the previous level. The increase in paper value in 1995 foreshadowed new problems for the newspaper. In early 1995, the publishers of "Liberation" limited its volume to 60 pages. "Libération" became the property of a large industrial group. The independence pact signed by Jérôme Seydou between Scharzher’s staff and the Libération staff must guarantee journalists the right to “veto” when deciding on the main issues of publishing strategy: status change, sale of shares, appointment of the general director. In 1999, the distribution of "Liberation" remained stable (about 170 thousand copies). The reduction in retail distribution was offset by an increase in the number of subscribers and subscription sales to airlines and hotels. The newspaper successfully uses its presence on the Internet. She ranked third among French newspapers after Eco and Le Monde in demand on the Internet. Libération was one of the first publications to create a website on the Internet in the spring of 1995. Many journalists believe that free consultations are available on the website of the newspaper Liébertion. , one of the most visited sites of the French press, had a negative impact on retail sales of the paper version. And yet, "Liberation" was experiencing another economic crisis, its advertising revenues decreased from 45% to 35%. Reduced and spread. The leaders of the newspaper openly declared that they were looking for partners who could ensure its financing and development, while preserving the face of the newspaper and the independence of its editorial staff.