MÉDIAS, ÉDITIONS : RÉSISTER À BOLLORÉ ET AUX FALSIFICATEURS

The media is the most powerful entity on earth, possessing the capacity to make the innocent appear guilty and the guilty appear innocent. This editorial, delivered in a world that feels increasingly dangerous and uncertain—much like a landscape under constant missile fire—seeks to address the control of the masses' minds. While authors like John Irving once dreamed of making the world a safe place, the current reality, shaped by figures like Donald Trump, is one of war, fake news, and messianic delusions. In this context, tracking the truth is not just a journalistic duty; it is a vital necessity. Five years ago, the independent media outlet Blast was created to provide a platform for information, emancipation, and resistance. Today, the team is expanding this mission into the world of independent publishing with the launch of "Blitz." This initiative is born from a desire to create a sanctuary of thought—an "island of insubordination"—against a backdrop of democratic decay and the "fascitization" of the public sphere. The goal is to produce texts and spark debates without relying on the commercial circuits controlled by a handful of "extreme-right oligarchs." The current state of the publishing industry in France is alarming. It is increasingly "gangrened" by a minority of billionaires. Currently, more than half of all books sold in France are controlled by just two groups: Hachette, owned by Vincent Bolloré, and Editis, owned by Daniel Křetínský. These industrial titans no longer hide their political agendas, twisting editorial lines to satisfy ideological goals. Furthermore, the distribution network is even more concentrated; 50% of books sold in France pass through a single entity: Hachette Distribution. This concentration leads to a strategy of "saturation and occupation." Large multinationals flood bookstores with titles to drown out independent voices, accepting the fact that nearly 20% of books end up being destroyed every year—an ecological and economic disaster that mainstream media refuses to cover. Against this "mortiferous" machinery of language, Blitz aims to offer a new weapon for reflection. Their first book, *Le mensonge et la colère* (Lies and Anger), is currently part of a crowdfunding campaign on Ulule, with a goal of €100,000—a fraction of what Bolloré invests in propaganda, but enough to launch a truly independent alternative. The editorial also takes aim at the "lukewarm" debates found on mainstream news channels like BFM TV. These outlets often claim "journalistic neutrality," yet they operate within a narrow ideological groove. They frequently repeat narratives—such as labeling certain political figures antisemites or ignoring the realities of the situation in Gaza—while claiming they are simply doing their jobs professionally. The speaker argues that these journalists are not truly free; they are part of a system that invites the same "pseudo-philosophers" and "pro-war militants" onto their sets daily, while excluding critical, radical voices. To understand the danger of this media concentration, one must look at history. A direct parallel is drawn between Vincent Bolloré and Alfred Hugenberg, a German media mogul of the 1920s. Hugenberg, a wealthy industrialist turned press tycoon, controlled 1,600 newspapers and the major film production company UFA. He used his empire to spread hate, falsify information, and "divert the crowds" by giving a positive image of the Nazis. Hugenberg believed he could use Hitler to advance his own reactionary ideals, and his media empire played a decisive role in the rise of the National Socialist Party. A century later, Bolloré appears to be playing the same part. By acquiring Canal+, Paris Match, Europe 1, C News, and significant stakes in cinema networks and publishing houses, he is accused of using a strategy of disinformation, rigged polls, and extreme politicization. His platforms promote a "regenerated Catholicism," a "new order," and a "white France," effectively winning a cultural battle that marginalizes the left and rehabilitates the far-right. This "inversion of reality" is seen in the way mainstream media now treats figures like Jordan Bardella or discusses the death of neo-fascist militants. In this "bourbier" (quagmire), rational information is replaced by buzz and rumor. Statistics are manipulated, and political recovery is prioritized over truth. The speaker asserts that while the "extreme center" and the right have abandoned the fight for fiscal equity and public services, only a few voices—specifically those of the "Insoumis" (LFI) and other leftist factions—continue to address poverty and ecological horror. The launch of Blitz is a response to this uniform editorial landscape. It seeks to support independent booksellers and ensure fair compensation for authors and workers in the book industry. Each book published will be an object of "peace, combat, and debate." The project is a call to move beyond "50/50 journalism"—which treats tragic human events like a football match—and instead return to a journalism that is biased toward those who suffer. By supporting independent publishing, readers can help build a different world and a different imaginary, standing against the "preachers of hate" who currently dominate the airwaves. Support for the Ulule campaign is presented as an essential step in resisting this encroaching ideological monopoly.