After studying political economy and partially performing a military service in Algeria, Jacques entered journalism at La Dépêche du Midi.[4] In 1963, recruited by Hubert Beuve-Méry, he entered the newspaper Le Monde as a journalist in the foreign service and was correspondent for the daily in Washington (1970-1973), where he covered in particular Watergate, then in Moscow (1973-1977),[5] where, opposed to Brejnev's policy, he attracts the wrath of the KGB.[6]
In 1980, he was a candidate for the succession of Jacques Fauvet at the head of the daily in the first election of a director by journalists – a world first in the press of the press, – finally won by Claude Julien.[7] In 1994, he joined the newspaper Liberation – of which he was the editorial director from 2000 to 2002 succeeding Frédéric Filloux – where he wrote until 2006.[8] Finally, withdrawn in Corsica where he settled with his second wife, Isaline de Commarmond,[9] he then supported the information site on rue89[10] by becoming a minority shareholder and holds a chronicle for economic alternatives.[11]
Finally, having retired to Corsica where he settled with his second wife, Isaline de Comarmond, he then supported the news website Rue89[12] by becoming a minority shareholder and wrote a column for Alternatives économiques.[13]