In its statement, the ESJ Paris said it was looking to “build a new project” and “strengthen its position as a benchmark in journalism education, particularly for economic [journalism].”
The ESJ Paris is not part of a group of journalism schools which are recognized by the country’s professional body and is not included in yearly rankings of French journalism schools.
However, news of the media-owning billionaires’ invest in a journalism school has sparked concern over their commitment to editorial independence, especially in a country where higher education is largely public or not-for-profit.
Hard-left parliamentarian Sophia Chikirou said on X that the ESJ Paris would become a “factory for soldiers of caste journalism” while her colleague Aymeric Caron, a former reporter and well-known TV personality turned politician, said “the billionaires [had] bought their journalism school.”
Media historian Alexis Lévrier described the investment as “concerning” and said “schools must remain independent” from the shareholders of media empires.
Free speech advocates have in recent years voiced concerns the increasing concentration of French news outlets in the hands of a few billionaires.
