The ESJ Paris journalism school taken over by media owners, including Vincent Bolloré and Rodolphe Saadé

The great French conservative fortunes continue their hold on the media world. The Paris Higher School of Journalism (ESJ), the world's oldest, has been taken over by investors who own media, through groups owned by conservatives, such as Dassault or Bolloré, we learned on Friday, November 15 from the institution.

Among the “French companies which have agreed to participate in strengthening the ESJ”we read in a press release announcing the « reprise » of the establishment, we find in particular Koodenvoi (which counts among its creators Marie-Hélène Dassault, whose family owns the Figaro), Compagnie de l'Odet (which oversees the capital of the Bolloré group, which has Canal+ and Prisma media in its fold) and CMA Média, owned by Rodolphe Saadé (ProvenceBFM, RMC…). La Financière Agache (owned by Bernard Arnault, who also owns The Parisian et Les Echos) and Bayard Presse (The Cross, Phosphorus) are also among the buyers.

A Catholic entrepreneur at the head of the establishment

The presidency of the establishment is entrusted to Vianney d'Alançon, present in the buyers through his structure, Financière de La Lance. This Catholic entrepreneur is located behind Rocher Mistral, a sort of Provençal Puy du Fou, at the Château de La Barben (Bouches-du-Rhône). Since 2006, the presidency has been held by Guillaume Jobin.

Acting general management is entrusted to Elhame Medjahed, current educational manager of the school. ESJ Paris now hears “in particular to strengthen its position of reference in the field of journalism education, particularly in economics”. The ESJ is not one of the fourteen schools recognized by the profession, unlike the ESJ of Lille, with which it has no relationship.

Created in 1899, ESJ Paris is proud to have seen “pass prestigious teachers such as Anatole France, Charles Péguy, Maurice Ravel, Raymond Poincaré, Maurice Schumann or even Gaston Doumergue, former President of the Republic”. The ESJ also prides itself on being “the first journalism school in the world open to women and foreign students”.