“It’s an unreasonable mission,” Bruno Jeudy tells us with amusement during the episode “Print Press: The Sunday Battle,” the 58th edition of our podcast Media On The Move. This was an opportunity for the deputy editor of La Tribune Dimanche to reflect on the early days of this new media. Launching a Sunday print newspaper? “A tough challenge in 2023 and 2024,” he admits. A challenge he enthusiastically embraces and a bet he firmly believes can be won.
Print Media: A format still revelant in 2024?
It goes without saying that the rise of the Internet and technological advances have significantly shaken up the media ecosystem in recent years. The digitization of the press, the emergence of pure player media, and even social media accounts dedicated to news dissemination have created a whole new model. A model that seems to have overtaken traditional press and appears poised to dominate the future.
To the point of rendering print obsolete? Not according to Bruno Jeudy. “We realized that in 2023, print still mattered,” he says. However, he acknowledges that the task is not simple. “It’s not a small matter. No daily newspapers have been created in France for ten years, and no weeklies since Franc-Tireur three years ago.” A choice that may seem daring, if not reckless. But it makes perfect sense when seen alongside the second major characteristic of La Tribune Dimanche: being a Sunday publication.
A place to take in the sunday press
Establishing itself as a new media outlet necessarily means finding its place within the competition. Differentiating itself, offering an alternative to established titles is essential. For Bruno Jeudy, entering the Sunday press scene is precisely a great opportunity to stand out. The main historic competitors, including Journal du Dimanche (JDD) and Le Parisien dimanche, are firmly established but are experiencing a slowdown that paves the way for another voice. “Like all print media, they have lost many readers,” confirms our interviewee.
A situation partly influenced by the shift at the JDD, with the appointment of Geoffroy Lejeune (formerly of Valeurs Actuelles), which has significantly impacted the sector, seeming to polarize Sunday press titles. This leaves a gap that La Tribune Dimanche intends to fill. “The two newspapers are very different,” states Bruno Jeudy, adding, “One is nuanced and not ideological, while the other, even if more discreet, is more opinion-based.”A distinct approach from La Tribune Dimanche could help it find its place and establish itself as a Sunday print newspaper, as the initial results of the new paper suggest.
A positive first assessment
“The launch of La Tribune Dimanche has been successful,” enthuses the deputy editor. “The goal of launching an influential generalist newspaper, one of nuance, one that brings people together and touches all sectors, has, in our opinion, been achieved.” Does this feeling translate into numbers? “We remain challengers to our competitors,” continues Bruno Jeudy. “We’re still behind the JDD and Le Parisien Dimanche. Roughly speaking, today the paper’s circulation is 45,000 (source OJD). But we’ve planted our flag! We’re now a bit like young parents watching over their baby to make sure it grows well.” Encouraging beginnings that inspire optimism within the La Tribune Dimanche editorial team.“We are on schedule,” concludes Bruno Jeudy.
