The former director of the daily newspaper Le Devoir, Bernard Descôteaux, died on Saturday at the age of 77 as a result of cancer. He ran this independent newspaper from 1999 to 2016.
Mr. Descôteaux was born in Nicolet in 1947 and studied political science at the University of Montreal. As a Southam Foundation Scholar at Massey College, he studied economics and political science at the University of Toronto in 1981 and 1982.
After a stint at the local newspaper La Voix de l'Est, he was hired as a journalist at Le Devoir in 1974. He reported on municipal affairs before becoming a parliamentary correspondent in Quebec and Ottawa for many years.
He was also president of the Union of Editorial Employees, then editor-in-chief and information director from 1990.
He was appointed director of the newspaper in 1999 after Lise Bissonnette left Le Devoir to lead the creation of the Grande Bibliothèque. Among other things, he led the digital transformation of Le Devoir so that the newspaper adapts to new trends in the information sector.
Many public figures reacted to his death, in particular the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, who wrote to him in a message on the network
Parti Québécois (PQ) leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also wrote praiseworthy comments about Mr. Descôteaux, describing him as quiet, thoughtful and very generous with his time. He always intervened with moderation, objectivity and precision, qualities that are becoming increasingly rare today. “I am very sad to learn that he is no longer with us, he was both a mentor and an inspiration to me,” the PQ leader added.
Several journalists also took the time to highlight Mr. Descôteaux's calm and affable character and highlight his wisdom in messages on social networks.
Awards and recognition
The former director of Le Devoir had received several awards, including the Medal of Honor in November 2015. This award is given to Quebec personalities to recognize their career or commitment. It was awarded to him to highlight his career spanning more than 40 years and the digital transformation of everyday life.
He was previously appointed Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2010. Created in 1984, this award highlights the contribution of Quebecers to the influence of Quebec thanks to their achievements, their values or their ideals or even due to their significant participation in its development.
Bernard Descôteaux was also named a recipient of the Order of Montreal, an award given by the City of Montreal to recognize people who have made a notable contribution to the development and influence of the agglomeration.
A visionary
After a period marked by the decline of paper media and the radical decline in advertising revenues, he announced his retirement in 2016. Brian Myles followed him.
Mr. Descôteaux said back in 2015 that the traditional media industry was at a tipping point as advertising revenues declined.[ai]ent in a brutal way. He also regretted the lack of assistance from the government concerned[ait] very little of what happens in the news industry.
One of the problems is that a lot of the revenue we received before goes to the United States, to California, to Apple and to Google, he said about the role of the web giants. , already seen as a problem time.
Bernard Descôteaux is survived by his wife Marie Lavigne and their two children Alexe and Aubert.
With information from Le Devoir