Founded in Paris at the very end of the 19th century, in 1899, it is the oldest school of journalism in the world. During its long existence, the ESJ Paris, today located rue de Tolbiac, in the 13th arrondissement, has welcomed illustrious professors and lecturers, such as the great sociologist Emile Durkheim, but also great politicians such as Maurice Schumann, Raymond Poincaré and Paul Deschanel. Among the more recent alumni, we find Samuel Etienne, Audrey Pulvar, and Patrick de Carolis.
On November 15, 2024, the school was bought by a consortium of investors, most linked to media including Financière Agache (owned by Bernard Arnault, who also owns Le Parisien and les Echos), the Bayard presse group (the newspaper La Croix, the Phosphore magazine), Koodenvoi (Habert Dassault finances, the Dassault group owns Le Figaro), Pierre Gattaz, former president of Medef, La Compagnie de Odet (owned by Vincent Bolloré, shareholder of Canal Plus and Prisma Média) and CMA Média owned by Rodolphe Saadé (La Provence, BFM, RMC, etc.).
Other shareholders also include: Spes, Stanislas and Godefroy de Bentzmann, Watchers&co, Financière de la Lance (Vianney d’Alançon), TSV Immobilier.
Since 2009, the school has been run by Guillaume Jobindoctor of medicine, author of numerous books on Russia and Morocco. Now aged 65, he will leave the school, whose management will be entrusted to Elhame Medjahed, current educational director, while waiting for a new director to be appointed in January. The presidency will be entrusted to Vianney d’Alançon. Aged 38, this self-taught French entrepreneur is known in particular for having bought the Château de la Barben (Bouches du Rhône), in order to create a theme park in Provence, the Rocher Mistral, inaugurated in 2021.
“ESJ Paris intends in particular to strengthen its position of reference in the field of journalism education, particularly in economics”specifies the press release.
Its objective could be, among other things, for this school to obtain an RNCP (National Directory of Professional Certifications) title, and for it to finally join the very exclusive club of 14 journalism schools recognized by the profession. Finally, the school will leave its 13th century premises to find new buildings in Paris intra muros.
