Jean-Michel Baylet, Michaël Delafosse, Kamel Chibli and François-Xavier Lauch wish Midi Libre a happy birthday

Jean-Michel Baylet, Michaël Delafosse, Kamel Chibli and François Xavier Lauch. Sylvie Cambon

On Tuesday, August 27, 2024, Midi Libre celebrated its 80th anniversary during an exceptional event organized at the newspaper's headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Védas. Jean-Michel Baylet, the president of the group La Dépêche du Midi  spoke first.

Jean-Michel Baylet, president of the La Dépêche du Midi group 

“On August 27, 80 years ago, Midi Libre was launched.” Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Opening this day of celebration of the 80th anniversary of Midi Libre, Jean-Michel Baylet, the president of the group La Depêche du Midi, while thanking all the personalities who responded to his invitation, paused.

To dedicate special attention to Stephan Rossignol, the mayor of La Grande-Motte, “present among us and to whom we express our solidarity”, after the fire perpetrated this Saturday on the synagogue of his commune.

“80 years ago…”

Then came the time from a flashback of eight decades: “80 years ago, on August 23, the Place de la Comédie was in jubilation”, he recalled, establishing a link, historical, temporal, between the Liberation and the creation of our newspaper. Or rather “your” newspaper, as he was keen to point out.

Before narrating its creation, when,“In the small room of the Café Négrail, in Limoux, six customers are seated in a corner. They are talking in low voices. Jacques Bellon, Maurice Bujon, Ernest de Varenne, Albert Marsal, Jean Connillière and Marcel Cassagne, imagine the post-war press. It does not take them long to find the name of the newspaper. It will be called Midi Libre."

"Glorious heritage"

We know the rest: "On August 27, 80 years ago, two days after the liberation of Paris, the newspaper was launched." And here are "united in the name of the values ​​of freedom, independence, secularism and of humanism” a newspaper and its region, Languedoc.

Of this "glorious heritage", decision-makers, journalists, staff of Midi Libre are today the leaders. And the bearers of an ambition and a “duty” : “Provide quality, honest and balanced information, embody the diversity of readers, territories and opinions". Doubled with a mission: “Support initiatives and projects, encourage debates through events that we organize, be the main architect of the social bond that is essential to living together.”

150 journalists and 750 correspondents

Without ever forgetting to tell the story of “the ordinary daily life” of these “women and men who have chosen to live and work in country." That is the work of 150 journalists and 750 correspondents, "proposing content for the paper newspaper, the website and the various distribution channels" said Jean-Michel Baylet.

"Ability to renew and adapt"

Before appreciating that "our digital audiences make Midi Libre the third largest regional daily press title with more than 60 million visits per month on average. Results that illustrate the ability of our teams to renew and adapt".

It then remained to thank the employees of the title, to assure that "the future of Midi Libre is in good hands and on the right track". And to promise, to close the loop, “loyalty to the legacy of the founders, today, and tomorrow more than ever.”

Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier

“A memory of everyday life that will become collective memory.” Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

He spoke on behalf of the mayors and elected officials of the area, with a special thought for Stéphan Rossignol, mayor of La Grande-Motte, whose town was shaken by an attack that could have been terribly deadly. Michaël Delafosse fervently defended the newspaper, its importance in the life of the city and especially the “freedom of the press“. From this point of view, Michaël Delafosse assured that in this matter, “Midi Libre has never failed.”

He remembered with emotion this January 7, 2015, the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the demonstrations that brought together 100,000 people in the streets of Montpellier, in “support for freedom of the press in the face of the assassinated freedom that guarantees our freedoms to all“. For the mayor, this is Midi Libre, he who recalls having read with pride his newspaper this morning which launches all “the upcoming celebrations on the liberation of the city of Montpellier".

"Midi Libre and its title like no other"

The elected official took a dive into history to emphasize the importance of a free and independent title, "which can sometimes annoy, but also make us think". And the mayor mentioned “Midi Libre and its title is like no other… a title that tells and has even shaped the identity of our territories“. Emphasizing the importance of a newspaper that is “a memory of everyday life that will gradually become a collective memory“.

More seriously, Michaël Delafosse also recalled the importance of the local press by recalling that in the United States, “where the local press has disappeared, populism triumphs“. Yes, Michaël Delafosse pleads for Midi Libre to “continue to chronicle our controversies, our debates… it is essential to democratic vitality".

"Guaranteeing the necessary plurality of the press"

Then, addressing Jean-Michel Baylet and his family, the mayor greeted them for "guaranteeing the necessary plurality of the press in the face of the threat of concentration that threatens certain press groups". The opportunity to conclude his remarks vigorously: "Thank you for helping us bring to life an essential value: democracy. So long live Midi Libre, long live democracy, long live the Republic and long live France, long live Midi Libre.“

Kamel Chibli, vice-president of the regional council

“Midi Libre makes visible the invisibles of our beautiful region.” Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Regional councilor Kamel Chibli, representing the community and its president Carole Delga, expressed his "emotion to share this great moment of history for Midi Libre, created on August 27, 1944 on the ruins of the newspaper L’Éclair and the daily newspaper Le Petit Méridional, two days after the Liberation of France, and we also celebrate freedom of the press."

The third vice-president of the regional council recalled: "The history of Midi Libre is a piece of the history of our country, our nation and our beautiful and great region, it is impossible for me to cite all the great and beautiful dates that have marked the history of Midi Libre, an essential daily newspaper and a subject of desire by elected officials, who, sometimes, all want to have their moment of glory, but also by associations and the invisible: you make visible many invisible people in our society and in our beautiful region."

"Freedom of expression and opinion"

The elected official, "attached" to the daily work of the newspaper that highlights the "wealth" of the territory, praised "the unwavering commitment" of the title. And he insisted, like the other speakers, on the indispensable independence of the press and “Freedom of expression and opinion, fundamental principles of our democracy regularly attacked, we experience it daily, including here in our country and in particular by the heirs of those who, already, a few days before the creation of this newspaper, considered that the press was a propaganda tool in the service of Vichy. Let us never forget, let us remember these tragic moments. Let us savor and preserve this opportunity that we have."

Kamel Chibli, responsible for education, youth and sports at the regional council, took the opportunity to pay tribute to the newspaper in its coverage of the Olympic Games, "enchanted moment in this troubled period", saluting "in all sincerity the remarkable work" of the sports department, athlete by athlete, recalling that the region won 22 medals.

François-Xavier Lauch, prefect of Hérault

“Freedom of the press, the very exercise of democracy.” Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Last to speak, as protocol requires, the prefect of Hérault has woven the thread at length between the history of Midi Libre and freedom of the press. “In his first editorial, Jacques Bellon tells us that Midi Libre will devote itself to the search for the truth: we will use this freedom, this truth, in the general interest. Here is the link with my function as representative of the State“, François-Xavier Lauch notably launched.

“We are attached to this freedom of the press”

He specified: “This is an opportunity to tell you to what extent in our Republic, in our democracy, we are attached to this freedom of the press. It is the very exercise of democracy. Of freedom. Our greatest jurists explain to us that this freedom of the press is perhaps a freedom that is a little higher than that of others. The authors of the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789 also thought it appropriate, beyond the article devoted to the freedom of individuals, to write a specific article, Article 11, which deals with this freedom of the press“, he recalled, before reading its main principles from the podium, while recalling “the equally essential limits: defamation, discrimination, negationism".

"Long live Midi Libre"

Referring to history, the prefect also recalled the importance of the action of the resistance movements which, at the risk of their lives, fought for this free press. "As early as June 22, 1944, a whole series of newspapers that had compromised themselves with the occupation were censored. Only 28 titles that were present before the occupation will be reborn under their titles. This is to say how significant the compromise had been“, he recalled, to honor “the conquest of our ancestors“.

Faced with the various threats and attacks, the prefect then called for the greatest vigilance. Before giving a long and warm greeting to the company's staff, but also to the Baylet family, “a family group that has held this freedom of the press close to its heart“. "Long live Midi Libre", he concluded forcefully.