Political decision, unfortunate timing... For Léonce-Antoine Deprez, managing director of the rotational printing company Léonce Deprez located in Ruitz in the Pas-de-Calais, there are many reasons, but the fact is that the paper industry has not taken advantage of this situation of confinement, even though it is to its advantage.
"We had the opportunity to develop the paper press in this exceptional period of containment... The industry is missing a moment in the diffusion of the press in France.
The French need to read the paper press right now. 85% of the kiosks are open. I questioned a few press houses and all of them told me that the average basket had increased. During the lockdown, people are fed up with digital and screens. The news press is essential, especially at the time of fake news. It's time to sell paper, real information!
In the profession, all printers have taken sanitary measures to keep rolling. It is possible to work while avoiding the spread of the virus. We have never stopped printing (today at 30% of normal activity, editor's note). A month before the containment, we had already taken internal sanitary rules. And we have no sick people.
However, many publishers have stopped publishing. It's a pity, they're missing an opportunity to exist. Those that continue will grow out of the crisis: they will remain in the collective unconscious as titles that have remained present during this crisis.
It must also be said that some publishers are afraid of the Presstalis situation. At a time when we needed to rely on Presstalis to sell the magazine press, it's filing for bankruptcy! That was the worst moment. Yes, it continues to distribute at the moment (the filing for bankruptcy planned for the end of March has been postponed to the end of April), but if the Minister of Culture has made announcements about payment, Presstalis will still file for bankruptcy. There are no guarantees.
What is also terrible is that all the government contracts have cancelled their publication. All of them! However, town halls and other public institutions should communicate more at this time, to explain what they are doing to help citizens!
And it's also nonsense that bookstores can't open. They're being picked up by Amazon! It was perfectly possible to leave bookstores open in France, and Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of Economy and Finance, had authorized it. It's a shame.
The paper industry as a whole is missing a moment in history."
