Le Monde group ethics charter reinforced after 2025 update

Charter codifies independence, freedom and reliability standards The charter, in force since 2010 and amended in 2023, spells out the core principles of editorial independence, freedom and reliability for all Le Monde titles, detailing the rights and duties of journalists, managers and shareholders; it is legally binding on societies, journalist unions and the group’s directors and is incorporated into the companies’ statutes [1].

Shareholders pledge economic independence and no editorial meddling Shareholders guarantee the economic autonomy of the publications while expressly refraining from influencing editorial choices, advertising policies or the line of any title; they also commit not to impose commercial partnerships that could compromise editorial integrity [1].

Ethics Committee oversees compliance and issues non‑binding opinions A standing Comité d’éthique et de déontologie, composed of representatives from the Société des Rédacteurs du Monde, journalists’ unions, the SEM president and independent members, meets at least twice a year, can autosaisir on ethical issues, and publishes an annual report on its findings and recommendations [1].

Journalists must avoid conflicts, gifts over €70 and undisclosed travel Reporters are required to declare any personal or familial conflicts of interest, refuse gifts exceeding €70, obtain hierarchical approval for press trips, and disclose any sponsorship or “envoyé spécial” situations; they must also refrain from plagiarism, manipulation or sensationalism [1].

Anti‑corruption annex aligns with Sapin II and mandates due diligence An annex, applicable to all collaborators and commercial partners, prohibits corruption, influence‑peddling and illicit political financing, obliges staff to report real or apparent conflicts, and requires pre‑contractual integrity checks (“due diligence”) in line with France’s Sapin II law [1].

Generative AI may only assist, never replace human editorial work The charter bans the use of generative AI to create editorial content from scratch, permits it solely as a supervised assistance tool for text, video or infographic production, mandates clear disclosure to readers, and forbids AI‑generated images except in rare, justified cases [1].