“These practices represent a real danger for the freedom of the press, but also for democracy”, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) alert. The NGO calls, Thursday, October 14, the State, the CSA, the Competition Authority and the legislator to intervene in the face of “brutal methods” by French media mogul Vincent Bolloré.
In a 16-minute documentary titled System B and broadcast on social networks, RSF has 11 journalists testify on “the information control system” of the businessman, who has continued to expand his media empire, via his Vivendi group. They describe, with their faces uncovered, the “Mechanics of influence and intimidation set up by Vincent Bolloré when he takes control of a media or when journalists investigate its industrial activities”.
System B. do you know?
This is the system put in place by the industrialist Vincent Bolloré to bring information into line. And this is the title of RSF’s shocking docu which will be broadcast here tomorrow. In the meantime, for an overview of the methods,
it’s here ➡️ pic.twitter.com/Db3Hwq48u2– RSF (@RSF_inter) October 13, 2021
This film is a “alarm signal”, launches the secretary general of RSF, Christophe Deloire, while Vincent Bolloré is now present in television (Canal +, CNews, C8), radio (Europe 1, RFM and Virgin Radio), the written press with here is, Capital and Gala, and more recently Paris Match and The JDD.
In the documentary, Patrick Cohen, former presenter of “Europe midi” on Europe 1 – which is the subject of a takeover of Vivendi – gets angry with “the way of moving away from the principles of journalism such as Europe 1 practiced it for more than sixty years”. For its part, Isabelle Roberts, co-author of The Empire. How Vincent Bolloré ate Canal, reports on “methods of a raider, that is to say someone who will arrive in a box, who will cut off all the heads, who will redo his thing. The editors are not used to that. He will end up. with people who either do not agree, or do not dare to speak, but in any case, are brought into line “, she describes.
Faced with the practices denounced, “it is urgent to establish new safeguards”, adds Christophe Deloire. RSF therefore makes seven recommendations. Among them, the NGO asks the State to‘”intervene for editorial independence in its capacity as shareholder of Vivendi” (the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations owns 2.2% of the group’s capital). It also calls on the CSA to “enforce honesty, independence and pluralism of information on the basis of current conventions”.
RSF also encourages “the legislator to put in place an effective mechanism against the gagging procedures”, deterrent weapons to muzzle the media. According to the world ranking of press freedom established by the NGO, France is in 34th place.