Editing Libération (section)

===Édouard de Rothschild's involvement===
In 2005 {{Lang|fr|Libération}} badly needed funds,<ref name=bbc11>{{cite news|title=The press in France|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4295349.stm|access-date=22 November 2014|work=BBC|date=11 November 2006|archive-date=15 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115012202/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4295349.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> and Serge July strove to convince the board to allow [[Édouard de Rothschild]]<ref name=bbc11/> to buy a stake in the paper. The board agreed on 20 January 2005. Social conflicts arose shortly after. On 25 November 2005, the paper went on strike, protesting against the layoff of 52 workers.<ref>[https://www.humanite.fr/journal/2006-01-02/2006-01-02-821053 Libération ? Un cas d’école pour la presse française] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622165236/http://www.humanite.fr/journal/2006-01-02/2006-01-02-821053 |date=22 June 2006 }}, ''[[L'Humanité]]'', 26 May 2006 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Rothschild, who had promised he would not interfere in editorial decisions, decided that he was not playing an active enough role in the paper's management.<ref>[http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/20060614.FIG000000196_les_raisons_d_un_divorce.html Les raisons d'un divorce] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929132019/http://www.lefigaro.fr/medias/20060614.FIG000000196_les_raisons_d_un_divorce.html |date=29 September 2007 }}, ''[[Le Figaro]]'', 14 June 2006 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> In May 2006 the paper announced a weekend magazine called ''Libé week-end'', with a supplement called ''Ecrans'' (covering television, internet and film), and another called ''R''. (The latter was abandoned in September of the same year.)

On 13 June 2006, Serge July told the editorial staff that Édouard de Rothschild was refusing to invest more money in the paper unless [[:fr:Louis Dreyfus (homme de médias)|Louis Dreyfus]] (directeur général) and himself left the paper. July had accepted, believing the paper's future existence to depend on his decision. The journalists were shocked. The next day, they published a public statement praising the paper's founder and expressing their worries about journalistic independence.<ref>[http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=390093 Depuis trente-trois ans, Serge July, cofondateur de «Libération»....] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617192959/http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=390093 |date=17 June 2006 }}, {{Lang|fr|Libération}}, 14 June 2006 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Serge July left the paper on 29<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 30, 2006 |title=Serge July, "infiniment triste", tourne la page de "Libération" |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2006/06/30/serge-july-infiniment-triste-tourne-la-page-de-liberation_790151_3236.html |website=Le Monde |language=fr}}</ref> June 2006.<ref>" Pourquoi je quitte "Libération" " ; Serge July; {{Lang|fr|Libération}}; 30 June 2006 <blockquote>
« ''The orchestral conductor that I was bids you farewell.''<br/>
''The journalist who I am is infinitely sad no longer to be able to write here.''<br/>
''The reader that I shall remain bids you good-bye.'' »
</blockquote>([http://www.liberation.fr/dossiers/liberation/serge/190731.FR.php article en ligne] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061124201521/http://www.liberation.fr/dossiers/liberation/serge/190731.FR.php |date=24 November 2006 }})</ref>

A debate between Bernard Lallement, the first administrator-manager of {{Lang|fr|Libération}} and Edouard de Rothschild took place in {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}} newspaper. In a column published on 4 July 2006, Lallement argued that July's departure was the end of an era where "writing meant something". Lallement painted a bleak picture of {{Lang|fr|Libération}}<nowiki>'</nowiki>s future, as well as that of the press as a whole. Criticizing Rothschild's interference, Lallement quoted Sartre, who had famously said that "Money doesn't have any ideas".<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3232,36-791233,0.html Une complainte pour Libé] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060705024903/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3232,36-791233,0.html |date=5 July 2006 }}; {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}} 4 July 2006</ref> Later, on his blog, Lallement argued that Rothschild, who had had no historic attachment to the paper, was only interested in making money, not in the paper itself.<ref>[http://sartre.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/07/06/libe-un-paradoxe-tres-cavalier.html Libé : un paradoxe très cavalier] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060808051829/http://sartre.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/07/06/libe-un-paradoxe-tres-cavalier.html |date=8 August 2006 }} 6 July 2006</ref> On 6 July, Rothschild declared: "{{Lang|fr|Libération}} needs help and moral, intellectual and financial support. {{Lang|fr|Libération}} doesn't need a requiem."<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3232,36-792175,0.html Libération n'a pas besoin de requiem] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719104507/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0%2C1-0@2-3232%2C36-792175%2C0.html |date=19 July 2006 }} ; {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}} 6 July 2006</ref>

Sixty-two employees—including 35 journalists, such as Antoine de Gaudemar, chief editor, [[Sorj Chalandon]], who was awarded the [[Albert Londres Prize]], both present since the 1973 creation of ''Libé'', and [[Pierre Haski]], deputy editor, present since 1981—were about to resign at end of January 2007 (of a total of 276 employees). With the 55 other employees who left the newspaper at the end of 2005, this made a total of about 150 staff who had left since Rothschild's ownership, not including tens of resignations (including Florence Aubenas, Dominique Simonnot, Antoine de Baecque, Jean Hatzfeld)<ref>[http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3236,36-858581@51-829464,0.html "Libération" : 62 candidats au départ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127030116/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0%2C1-0@2-3236%2C36-858581@51-829464%2C0.html |date=27 January 2007 }}, {{Lang|fr|[[Le Monde]]}}, 23 January 2007 –. Retrieved 23 January 2007 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

In May 2007, former {{Lang|fr|Libération}} journalists, including Pierre Haski and [[Pascal Riché]] (Op-Ed editor of {{Lang|fr|Libération}}) created the news website ''[[Rue 89]]''.

In 2014, the newspaper once again found itself in the news, following a public dispute between its journalists and shareholders over the future of the newspaper. In the face of falling circulation the latter had sought to re-invent the paper's web site as a social network. The editor-in-chief [[Nicolas Demorand]] resigned over the row.<ref>{{cite news|title=Liberation newspaper boss quits over restructuring row|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-26169559|access-date=22 November 2014|work=BBC|date=13 February 2014|archive-date=25 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025045521/http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26169559|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Change in Newspaper Circulation in France, 1999-2011.png|570px|''Liberation''{{-'}}s circulation figures have under-performed compared to other French newspapers in the 21st century]]