MEPs are currently studying a cross-partisan law proposal aimed at “protecting the editorial freedom of media seeking state aid”. This text is directly inspired by the strike still being waged by the editorial staff of the Journal du Dimanche, which refuses the arrival of a new director.
Avoid “a new JDD“. This is the purpose of the proposed law for “protect the editorial freedom of media seeking state aid“, which was to be filed on Wednesday, July 19, while the drafting of the Sunday newspaper continues its strike started on June 22 against the arrival at the head of the weekly of Geoffroy Lejeune, far-right journalist, former director of Current values.
The Society of Journalists announces that “the editorial staff voted 98% in favor of renewing the movement“for 24 hours. In the process, on Wednesday, the strikers decided to gather outside the National Assembly to make their voices heard and to make the deputies aware of their fight against the arrival of Geoffroy Lejeune.
Journalists would have a “right of approval”
This text is presented by 15 deputies from all political groups, with the exception of the Republicans and the National Rally. The bill, which franceinfo was able to consult, “aims to condition direct and indirect aid to the press on the establishment of a right of approval for journalists on the appointment of their managing editor“. In other words, “to claim this public aid, any appointment of an editorial director must be the subject of a vote of approval by the journalists employed by the editorial staff“.
Newspapers and information sites are not the only ones concerned, audiovisual media too. In effect, “the provision of a terrestrial broadcast channel [les fréquences publiques] publishing companies whose programs include political and general information programs” will also be conditioned on this “right of approval“.
“The proposed law gives them the power to object to a person when their previous work shows that they are not independent“, explains the vice-president of the environmental group in the Assembly, Sophie Taillé-Polian, who leads the initiative. It is a concrete question of giving journalists “thee power to oppose a person when his previous work shows that he is not independent, on the contrary that he is riding for a presidential candidate or a political party, which is clearly the case in JDD”, she deciphers, referring to the support of Geoffroy Lejeune, ex-director of the weekly Current Valuesto Eric Zemmour.
Sophie Taillé-Polian “quite confident” about the future of the text
This text must still be placed on the agenda of the National Assembly. For the deputy of Val-de-Marne, “that’s already the first objective“because the parliamentary calendar is “charge“. Gold, “It’s urgent“.”We have seen this major difficulty happen several times, in several newsrooms, in several major media, it has to stop“, she adds. The signatories of the text indeed evoke “the ousting of the editorial director of Les Échos“, Nicolas Barré, in March.
Once this goal is “hit“, and since it is a cross-partisan initiative, the elected representative says to herself “quite confident about the possibility of passing this bill” at the Palais Bourbon. She is aiming for a review of the text in the last quarter of this year. Sophie Taillé-Polian is aiming for a review of the text in the last quarter of 2023. Then it will still need the green light from the Senate, which is on track to stay on the right after the The deputy EELV does not advance on the support of the senators: “We are not there“, eludes the chosen one.