Journalists from the public media France 24 and RFI protested on Friday September 2, 2022 after Emmanuel Macron’s comments on France’s international influence, which they said equated them with “megaphone” of State. The day before, before the French ambassadors gathered at the Elysée Palace, the President of the Republic called for “to assume a strategy of influence and influence of France”.
“The world has changed (…) and our country is often attacked. It is attacked in public opinion by social networks and manipulations. The African continent is the best laboratory”, said Emmanuel Macron. In his speech which pointed “the narrative, Russian, Chinese or Turkish” in Africa, Emmanuel Macron urged “better use of the France Médias Monde network, which is absolutely key, which must be a strength for uss”.
The France Médias Monde (FMM) group brings together France 24 (in French, English, Arabic and Spanish), RFI (in French and 15 other languages) and Monte Carlo Doualiya, a radio station in Arabic.
“France 24, media of the FMM group is in no way the official voice of France”replied the Society of Journalists (SDJ) of the continuous news television channel, in a press release published on social networks. “It is a public service media, not a government media. It is not, either, an operator of the diplomacy of influence”insisted the SDJ of France 24.
In a separate press release, that of Radio France International (RFI), which also belongs to France Médias Monde and is widely listened to in Africa, insisted that this group “is not the mouthpiece of the Elysée”. “Our journalists are in no way and will never be a tool at the service of your communication and your policy”, can we still read. “We will never give up an ounce of our independence,” continues the SDJ of RFI, according to which “these phrases cast suspicion and discredit on the work of (his) correspondents“.
No, Mr. Macron, FMM is not the spokesperson for the Élysée. We will never give up an ounce of our independence. pic.twitter.com/N6m6pvV2zV
— SDJ from RFI (@sdjrfi) September 2, 2022
This controversy comes in the wake of the abolition of the fee which finances public broadcasting, voted in August after a promise by Emmanuel Macron during the presidential campaign. Opponents of the abolition of the fee fear that public broadcasting will lose its independence by being subject to budgetary vagaries decided by the State, instead of a dedicated mode of financing.
Before discussing the role of the France Medias Monde network, President Macron had already challenged diplomats on the subject “defensive” of this influence strategy. “I think that collectively, we must be much more reactive, much more mobilized on social networks, work with allies, partners of France in public opinion. Not simply to obviously counteract this false information, but to be able to stop it very clearly, as quickly as possible and to increase the value of our own actions.“, said Emmanuel Macron.
Like the public service, it is also time for reform for the French ambassadors who have embarked on a unprecedented protest movement to mark their opposition to the project of the President of the Republic.