Bernard Descôteaux

OQ ChOM
Born1947 (1947)
Nicolet, Quebec, Canada
Died (aged 77)
OccupationJournalist
SpouseMarie Lavigne
Children2
HonoursOrder of Quebec (2010), National Assembly medal of honour (2017), Order of Montreal

Bernard Descôteaux OQ ChOM (French: [bɛʁnaʁ dekoto]; 1947 – 13 January 2024) was a Canadian journalist. He was the editor-in-chief and director of the Montreal-based newspaper Le Devoir from 1999 through 2016.[1] In a career spanning over four decades he covered Montreal's municipal politics and parliamentary reporting from Ottawa and Quebec City. Descôteaux was made an officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2010 and received the National Assembly medal of honour in 2017

Early life

Bernard Descôteaux was born in Nicolet, Quebec in 1947.[2][3] He graduated with a degree in political science from the Université de Montréal and followed it with a degree in politics and economics from the University of Toronto as the Southam Foundation scholar at the Massey College.[2][3]

Career

Descôteaux started his career in 1969 as a reporter with La Voix de l'Est, a French-language daily before moving to the Montreal-based Le Devoir newspaper in 1974.[3] He started with the newspaper as a parliament correspondent. He grew through the ranks and served as the newspaper's editor-in-chief and later as the managing editor and director from 1999 to 2016, succeeding Lise Bissonnette.[4][5][6] In a career spanning over four decades he covered Montreal's municipal politics and parliamentary reporting from Ottawa and Quebec City.[7]

Descôteaux is credited with the economic revival of the Le Devoir newspaper. Under his leadership, the newspaper recorded profits and increased its circulation, in contrast to much of the rest of the sector. Descôteaux also developed the presence of the newspaper on the Internet.[3] As he ended his career with the newspaper, the industry again saw declines in revenues, in particular advertising revenues. During this time he called for more governmental support for the Canadian media sector and also spoke against the large portion of the revenues going to large technology platforms.[8][9]

Descôteaux was made an officer of the National Order of Quebec in 2010 and received the National Assembly medal of honour in 2017.[2][7][10] He was also a recipient of the Order of Montreal.[9] He served on the board of directors of the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, a Montreal-based musical academy, the Centre d’études sur les médias, a center for media studies at the Université Laval, and Génération d’idées, a think tank.[7]

Personal life

Descôteaux was married to Marie Lavigne. The couple had two children.[11]

Descôteaux died on 13 January 2024, at the age of 77.[12] He had earlier been diagnosed with cancer.[2]

Book(s)

  • Bernard, André; Descôteaux, Bernard (1981). Québec, élections 1981 (in French). Hurtubise HMH. ISBN 978-2-89045-500-9.

References

  1. ↑ Les cahiers du journalisme. Centre de recherche, École supérieure de journalisme de Lille, Département d'information et de communication, Université Laval- Page 36 "Bernard Descôteaux Dans un style sans doute plus sobre que certains de ses illustres prédécesseurs, Bernard Descôteaux explique dès son arrivée à la tête du journal, en mars 1999, que l'indépendance du Devoir fait quasiment figure ..."
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bernard Descôteaux, former editor-in-chief of Le Devoir, dead at 77". Montreal Gazette. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Bernard Descôteaux – Ordre national du Québec". www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Bernard Descôteaux, former editor-in-chief of Le Devoir, dead at 77". Montreal Gazette. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Descôteaux, Bernard. "Plaidoyer pour l'avenir". No. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Bernard Descôteaux, former director of Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, dies at 77". Times Colonist. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "Bernard Descôteaux". Ordre de Montréal. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Descôteaux, Bernard; Brin, Colette (19 December 2018). "Funding for Canadian media: The who, why and how". Policy Options. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  9. 1 2 ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Société- (13 January 2024). "L'ancien directeur du quotidien Le Devoir Bernard Descôteaux est décédé". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "5 Quebecers receive National Assembly Medal of Honour - Montreal | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Paré, Étienne (13 January 2024). "Bernard Descôteaux, ancien directeur du «Devoir», n'est plus". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Bernard Descôteaux, ancien directeur du «Devoir», n'est plus". Le Devoir. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
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