‘Le Monde’ in crisis after seven chief editors resign

France’s prestigious daily, Le Monde, plunged into crisis after most of its chief editors resigned from their posts over a conflict with management.

Le Monde, a centre-left daily founded in 1944, is France’s newspaper of record and played a prominent role in the coverage of the revelations of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Many commentators are interpreting the editors’ resignation as a revolt against the paper’s managing editor, Natalie Nougayrède, the first woman to run the paper. A respected diplomatic correspondent, Nougayrède had never held an editorial or management position at the paper before, with staff now complaining she is difficult to talk to and doesn’t listen to them.

“A lack of confidence in and communication with editorial management prevents us from fulfilling our roles as chief editors,” seven of the newspaper’s senior editors said in an internal letter to management.

They said they remained available to help out until a new team is appointed to replace them to avoid damaging the daily running of the newspaper, but would then take up other unspecified positions.

“We have realised that we are no longer able to assume the tasks entrusted to us, and that’s why we are resigning from our respective posts,” the editors said in the letter.

A source at the newspaper said it was “exhausting” working under a management they said never communicates, takes decisions without consulting chief editors and fails to respond to simple organisational requests. “They don’t work collectively, we never know what is going on. After a year-and-a-half, it’s not working out.”

Management was not immediately available for comment.

The editors’ gripes centre on Nougayrède, whom staff say is “very difficult to talk to“, says the source.