Almost a year after the takeover of Konbini by the DC Company group, its founders, Lucie Beudet and David Creuzot, announced on Tuesday January 14 that they were letting go of the media, a decision independent, according to them, of the layoffs recently denounced by the editorial staff.
“It is with emotion that we announce, after seventeen extraordinary years, that we are leaving operations at Konbini”pioneer of online media popular with 15-35 year olds, declared the tandem of entrepreneurs, quoted in a press release.
Ils “will continue to work on strategic projects with Konbini” as advisors and are preparing a new project for the second quarter of 2025, exploring issues related to humans and technology, it is specified.
This announcement comes in a tense social climate for the media, acquired in February 2024 by the digital media group DC Company (The Graph, Herstoryetc.) and of which Lucie Beudet and David Creuzot remain shareholders.
On Friday, the Konbini Journalists Society denounced “a vast layoff plan affecting a quarter of the editorial staff”or eight employees, including seven journalists, one “bleeding” which is added, according to her, to numerous departures not replaced since the sale of the media by the Perrodo family, owner of the oil company Perenco.
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A departure uncorrelated with layoffs
In a statement sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Lucie Beudet and David Creuzot insisted on the fact that their departure was unrelated to these dismissals, citing “a transmission approach prepared for a long time” and “new personal aspirations”.
Konbini currently employs 120 people, compared to 175 claimed during the acquisition, including around thirty press cards, DC Company founder Geoffrey La Rocca told AFP. The leader, however, disputes the fact that“a quarter of the editorial staff” is amputated, “almost 80 people” (press cards or not) working, according to him, on content (excluding advertising). The eight deleted posts concern the Konbini website, whose traffic has “decreased by 50% over two years”he explains.
The idea is to “focus our efforts on high-growth activities”either “content creation on platforms” social where Konbini counts “10 million views per day”against “5 million visitors per month” for its site, argues Mr. La Rocca. Profitable, Konbini owes more than half of its revenues to brand content (production of content for brands). It is however not “no question of stopping the website”assures M. La Rocca.
