Two years after having acquired the Mondadori group, owner of the magazine Science & Vie, resulting in the departure of many journalists in 2021, Reworld Media is continuing its acquisitions. The group announced Tuesday, June 28 the takeover of the Publisher activities of Unify, the web publishing division of TF1. The controversial company is adding specialized information sites such as Gamekult, Les Numériques, Doctissimo and Marmiton to its already plethoric catalog.
The leading French magazine press group is expanding to the web
With this acquisition, Reworld Media owns more than sixty titles and strengthens its position as the leading French magazine press group. It is also consolidating its online activity and would increase its global audience to 36 million unique monthly visitors. In addition to the media already mentioned, Reworld Media also acquires aufeminin, Minutes Buzz, Juste Mieux, Hero and Fraîches.
The media still lacking in confidence in France and around the world
The group is also extending its reach internationally since this acquisition gives it access to two British media: Netmums and Sofeminine. The company defends its strategy of offering thematic content and hopes to become a major player in the field of health, high-tech and the women’s press with this acquisition.
“Reworld Media would become the digital leader in all the thematic verticals it covers. It would be an extremely structuring operation, we would be delighted to welcome these new quality activities, bringing new opportunities”, explains Gautier Normand, director of the company.
Reworld Media, a group with problematic liabilities for the independence of the press
This news is far from rejoicing the actors of the French press. In 2019, the acquisition of magazines such as Science & Vie, Guerre & Histoire and Auto Plus by Reworld Media had completely disrupted work in the editorial offices. Believing that they could no longer practice their activity as journalists under acceptable conditions of independence, ten journalists from Science & Vie had invoked the assignment clause to leave the editorial staff. Others continued to leave over the years. Some of them founded the science magazine Epsiloon in 2021.
Pausethe media that criticizes the media had published in 2019 a survey titled ” Reworld, or the nightmare of the future of journalism ». This went back to Reworld Media’s strategy, which would seek to make its activities as profitable as possible to the detriment of the quality of information. In particular, the company resorts to a lot of offshoring and some newsrooms work with more trainees than journalists. A situation that does not contribute to improving trust in the media, which is already very low in France.
Gamekult, an online media dedicated to video games, had belonged to the TF1 group since 2015 and had just announced its merger with Les Numériques in early 2022, which should allow it to maintain its good financial health. The whole of its editorial staff discovered the news of the takeover at the same time as everyone else and wonders about the fate which will be reserved for it.
I am learning the information like all of you since my vacation (return Thursday). We will try to clarify all the issues in the coming days, whether for the group and obviously for @Gamekult and its readers. Until then everything else is just guesswork. https://t.co/MHkvBB9L2c
— Nicolas Verlet, but on Switch (Paid DLC) (@puyogk) June 28, 2022