Newsroom of most circulated tabloid leave for competition

The editor in chief and other 80 journalists with the most circulated tabloid in Romania resigned on Monday in order to join the media team now under construction by a controversial businessman and top politician.

Most of those who resigned from Swiss Ringier owned Libertatea are expected to switch to Averea, currently a small circulation tabloid, which is to be bought by oil mogul and Liberal Dinu Patriciu. Averea director confirms negotiations for the sale of 85% of the newspapers’ shares are taking place.

Patriciu plans to re-launch Averea tabloid as part of its bigger plans to build a media trust which will compete with main media groups in Romania. The politician, now under investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Office, has bought Adevarul, one of the main broadsheets on the market, following the acquisition of smaller circulation outlets. Patriciu also plans to launch a second daily and two television stations

Ringier has previously confronted with similar waves of resignations in two of its most famous newsrooms of broadsheet Evenimentul Zilei and sports daily ProSport.