Le Monde's Top Editors Resign En Masse

The majority of the editorial staff at France's Le Monde, the country's most prestigious daily newspaper, resigned on Tuesday over a dispute with upper management.

The majority of the top editorial staff at France's Le Monde, the country's most prestigious daily newspaper, resigned on Tuesday over a dispute with upper management.

Seven senior editors wrote in an internal letter to management that, "A lack of confidence in and communication with editorial management prevents us from fulfilling our roles as chief editors," , according to the AFP. The resigning editors said they would help until their replacements were hired, but otherwise their time at the paper has come to an end. The dispute with management allegedly is focused around Natalie Nougayrede, the newspaper's managing editor, who is "difficult to work with," as one source told the AFP. Management allegedly made working for Le Monde "exhausting," and rarely communicated well, or at all, with the editorial staff. The Guardian points to management's decision in February to combine the print and online editorial staff as another reason for the revolt.

Losing the majority of senior editorial staff is a significant blow for the what is widely considered France's paper of record. Le Monde has been widely praised for its recent involvement in the Edward Snowden story, leaking a number of important NSA secrets to the wider world, and for its coverage of the war in Syria.