In recent weeks, the issue of media pluralism and freedom of expression has sparked a heated debate in France.
The Council of State, on Tuesday, February 13, called upon the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication to tighten its control over the pluralism of information, with a particular focus on Cnews, a media outlet owned by Vincent Bolloré.
This request has ignited a firestorm of controversy, with various media outlets and public figures weighing in on the matter.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Police Fatally Shoot Man Armed With Butcher’s Blade In Paris
One prominent voice in this debate is Laurent Wauquiez, who denounces what he sees as “very ideological interpretations of the law” by the institutions responsible for upholding the French Constitution.
In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, Wauquiez expresses his concerns about the potential infringement on freedom of expression. He argues that the media should not be subjected to undue restrictions or ideological biases.
The issue has also brought attention to Christophe Deloire, the head of the NGO Reporters Without Borders, who initiated the appeal before the Council of State. Deloire has been criticized in some circles, with Le Journal du Dimanche even going so far as to rename him “Reporter with borders” in a scathing article.
This piece aims to present a counterpoint to Deloire’s position and highlights alleged biases within public radio France Inter, which is often accused of favoring left-wing ideas.
The debate extends to the responsibilities of the media themselves. While some argue that media outlets should have the freedom to express their views without interference, others emphasize that they have obligations to uphold.
Roch-Olivier Maistre, the president of the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, clarifies in an interview with La Tribune that these obligations are necessary due to the authorization granted to media outlets to broadcast on public frequencies, which belong to the state and are allocated free of charge.
One of these obligations is the promotion of pluralism of ideas. Maistre explains that the decision of the Council of State indicates that information pluralism goes beyond political pluralism alone, and should now consider all participants, including columnists, presenters, and guests.
Importantly, these rules apply to all media outlets, not just Cnews, and will be assessed on a global scale across all programs.
The left has been particularly critical of Cnews, accusing it of being a “disinformation and propaganda company in the service of Bolloré.” However, Maistre’s comments make it clear that the issue of media pluralism and freedom of expression is not limited to one outlet but applies to the media landscape as a whole.
Amidst the heated discussions, Arcom, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, seeks to calm things down.
In his interview with La Tribune, Maistre reassures that there will be no cataloging of journalists and guests, indicating that the authority is not interested in scrutinizing each participant. Instead, the focus is on ensuring that media outlets fulfill their obligations to promote pluralism.
