You would expect that newspapers would at least report the facts - regardless of the spin they might put on them (Daily Mail and Sun excepted from this expectation) But regular readers of La Depeche du Midi will have a quite different impression of the Jazz in Marciac festival to readers of the national press
"A flop", "traders complaining", "audiences down" are just a few of the comments in the local newspaper. But the national press report full houses most nights, excellent performances by a host of top musicians and local businesses happy with their takings. It is suggested that Depeche owner Jean-Michel Baylet is annoyed that his company has lost the organisation of sound, stage and placing of commercial stands within the festival grounds. These have been handed to a rival company causing Baylet to threaten legal action. On a more personal level Baylet thinks his son (now heading the media group) was snubbed last year when Prime Minister Manuel Valls did not invite Baylet fils to join his party at Marciac.
Negative articles written by a "mystery author" started to appear in La Depeche long before the festival began and Baylet has a history of failing to report local stories if someone has offended him - most recently when the maire of Toulouse removed advertising from La Depeche and found no stories about city appearing.
On the face of it a press owner who has no hesitation in interfering in editorial decisions - so unlike our own dear Rupert Murdoch.
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