The secrets of the Bolloré empire / Stéphane Guillon open-heartedly

Several sequences in the summary of Soft Power: in the first part of the program, the cultural and digital news that marked the week; then our sequence “Harris/Trump: the clash” around the American presidential election (from 18min. in the podcast)followed by a discussion with actor and author Stéphane Guillon (from 53min. in the podcast) and finally a decryption of Vincent Bolloré’s empire with the journalist Raphaëlle Bacqué (from 1h21min. in the podcast).

Vincent Bolloré: Anatomy of an Empire

In 10 years, the Breton billionaire Vincent Bolloré has established his power over the French media landscape, mainly through control of the Vivendi group (which owns Canal+, Havas and Editis) and a significant stake in Lagardère (owner ofEurope 1a you Sunday newspaper). Wherever he goes, Vincent Bolloré imposes his style, often by implementing a more conservative editorial line and by exerting a direct influence on content. A concentration of power that raises concerns about the plurality of media and editorial independence in France.
How to understand the extent and strategies of the Bolloré empire?
Analysis with the senior reporter of Monde Raphaëlle Bacqué.

Stéphane Guillon with an open heart

Comedian Stéphane Guillon, known for his biting humor, reveals a more intimate angle in his new book. In his romantic biography No more laughing, Published on August 28, 2024 by Albin Michel, Stéphane Guillon speaks openly about his heartache and his job as an actor.
The author and actor will also be on the bill for the play Unknown at this address with Jean-Pierre Darroussin at the Théâtre Antoine from October 3.
This play by Kressman Taylor traces the correspondence between two friends, one an American Jew, Max Eisenstein, and the other a German, Martin Schulse. Between 1932 and 1934, as their exchanges progressed, the gap grew when Martin, back in Germany, joined Hitler’s propaganda.

Harris/Trump: the new duel

In just a few weeks, the presidential election took an unexpected turn following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the withdrawal of Joe Biden and the candidacy of Kamala Harris.
Can New White House Candidate Kamala Harris Win? Or Can Donald Trump Lose?
Decryption with Alexandra de Hoop Schaeffer and Pierre Vimont (from 18 min. into the podcast).

News of the week

• Digital | Elon Musk’s social network X has been suspended in Brazil due to an increasingly widespread disinformation system, according to the Brazilian justice system.

• Literature | Among the most anticipated back-to-school books, we find Jacaranda by Gaël Faye (Grasset), Day of surf by Maylis de Kerangal (Verticales Collection, Gallimard) and Houris by Kamel Daoud (Gallimard).

• Movie theater | The highly anticipated film Joker 2: Madness for Two will be released on October 2, 2024 in theaters with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga headlining.

• Video games | Star Wars OutlawsUbisoft’s new video game released on August 30, 2024, divides critics and players.

• Musique | A look back at the songs of the summer with Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.

Find the show’s playlist Soft Power directly on Spotify.

Box office of the week

Welcome to the Box-Office, the weekly meeting of the show Soft Power. Every week we examine cultural trends and the biggest hits of the moment. In partnership with GfK Research Institute for books and video games and CBO Box-Office for the cinema.

This week’s sales ranking, literary fiction category (source GfK)

This week’s sales ranking, essays and documents category (source GfK)

Ranking of the cinema releases of the week (source CBO Box Office)

To go further

SOFT POWER NEWS | To better understand it, our Generation Z X-ray. For a new ethics of streaming music, our advice for reclaiming your music. To understand everything about digital news, read our guide to 44 intellectuals to think about digital.