French Media Minister Nyssen to Eurofora: Towards defining Journalism by Deontology, Not Fiscal data

*Strasbourg/ARTE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Responding to a Press Invitation for a Debate with New French Minister for Medias and Culture, Francoise Nyssen, on the "Hot" Topical Issue of "Fake News", organised this Afternoon at the prestigious European Radio-TV "ARTE"'s Headquarters, Facing EU Parliament's Building in Strasbourg, "Eurofora" was Positively Surprized by the Competent Minister's Brief, but Clearly Affirmative Reply to our Question about whether it may be More Helpfull for the Quality of information to Adopt a Definition of Journalism which would be Based preferably on Press Deontology Principles, Instead of some mainly "Fiscal" elements, (as some still persist to demand, Contrary to Recent European and International Developments : See Infra).

This interesting Exchange, Topically took place Shortly Before a brand-New Law on "Fake News" is due to be Soon Voted by the French National Assembly, (See Infra), Drafted by MP Bruno Studer, (who was also Present in that Event, and Spoke, Afterwards, to "Eurofora" : See Infra).

Meanwhile, "ARTE"'s Officials had already shown some Well-Crafted Videos of special TV-Programs for Children which made an artful, but adequately Simplified Introduction to some Press Deontology's Basic Principles, (including, f.ex., to Cross-Check alleged "Facts" for Verification, etc).

But, even if that Special Meeting had been Explicitly Prepared for such "Fake News" - related Debates, Nevertheless, curiously, Most of the Participants to this "ARTE" Debate, had prefered to Focus, instead, on anOther, Different Topical Issue : that of a ... "Culture-Pass" Card for Free Access to Culture by Young Students, which had been Launched by Thyssen earlier this Morning and appeared quite Popular, (See Infra)...

Therefore, "Eurofora" had, practically, to Wait up to the special Moment Fixed by the Ministry's Press Service, for a Specific "Press-Point" with the Accredited Journalists, in order to have a Chance to Explore the Competent French Minister's Views on the above-mentioned Issue :
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 - "Eurofora", Noting the Fact that, recently, there are Several moves about "Fake News" also at European level, (f.ex. in EU Parliament, CoE, etc), as well as various Proposals made by Independent, Experienced Press Experts (See Infra),

Asked the French Minister for Medias, if she Agreed that, at least one among the Ways to Protect the Quality of Information, should be to Find Ways to Make the Definition of Journalism (including Legal), Closer to Values and Principles of Press Deontology, instead of restricting it to some Controversial, rather "Fiscal" purposes-Serving elements, (which put, f.ex., France at a Distance from Germany, from ECHR's Case-Law, even from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights', etc. : See Infra).

- The Reply, given to that "Eurofora"s Question, by the French Minister of Medias and Culture, Francoise Nyssen, was Suprisingly Positive :

 - "We (France), ... are Already Advancing Towards that Direction !", she immediately Stressed, from the outset.

- "In fact, it's (almost) Already there !", Nyssen spontaneously Added, (may be too Optimistically, but, at any case, significantly)

+ And, as a Concrete Example, the Competent Minister pointed, at least, at a particular "Law", which had been Adopted by the French National Assembly "a Few Time Ago", i.e. since 2016, (See more Details Infra).

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    Both some Old and Recent French Legal/Political Texts (already from 1979, 1881, as well as after 2010, etc) make certain Interesting References to various Definitions or, at least, Descriptions of Journalism, which seem very Close to that officially and clearly Adopted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights already as early as since 1985, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html, etc), before being also, mutatis-mutandis, endorsed by CoE's Committee of Ministers since 2000, and more Recently and clearly reiterated, in substance, by a relevant Reply of the European Federation of Journalists' Secretary General Gutierrez to a relevant "Eurofora"s Question during a 2-Days long International Conference on Press Freedom issues, as well as by the Explicit Definition subsequently adopted by a Team of CoE's Experts who Drafted the Latest, 2016 Book of the PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries-strong Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, about Press Freedom, Journalists and the Internet, back on 2016-2017, consistent with ECHR's case-law on Article 10, (which is the Only one to Protect Journalists) :

- I.e, mainly, that Journalism is the Activity of Persons Committed to Regularly Search, Analyse, Write and Publish Original News on Issues which Affect People's Lives and/or Society at large, (Comp., inter alia, also, f.ex.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coecommissionerandjournalistsafety.html , etc).

However, at least Some among those French Texts (Contrary to the situation existing in Other Countries, both in Europe and elsewhere in the World) use to Add also an irrelevant element, which has Nothing to do with pluralistic Democracy, Neither with Human Rights, but it apparently Serves only some Fiscal purposes, (concerning, f.ex. those who Pay a certain Percentage of Money Revenues to the Journalist, etc).

+ That's one among the Reasons for which, (according to an Earlier Suggestion made by "Eurofora" on the occasion of a Journalists' Gathering at the CoE in Strasbourg, when we also Discussed the matter together: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/digitalpress.html + + http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/webmedia.html), the World-Famous Press Expert, former Long-Time Secretary General of the European and International Federation of Journalists, and currently Director of the "Ethical Journalism Network", Aidan White, has Urged, (mainly in a Long Article at a Book Published by the CoE on 2015 : See http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/iachrcoebookandefjsgonjournalismdefinition.html), in substance, to Focus, on the Definition of Journalism and Assimilated activities, more on the observance of certain Basic Principles of Press Deontology.

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+ Moreover, Nyssen did Not immediately Deny when "Eurofora" added that "this should concern also the Traditional Medias, since, f.ex., in the USA, even "CNN" has been recently Accused to air "Fake News", as well as some Other Mainstream Medias, (particularly by People related to New US President Don Trump).

- But, at least as far as it concerns the current Draft Law on Fake News, its main Author, French MP Bruno Studer, speaking afterwards to "Eurofora", had a quite Different stance :

- "We don't focus on the Content, but, mainly on the Way in which it is Transmitted", Studer sharply told "Eurofora" in Reply to a Similar Observation as that which we had just made in fine during Media/Culture Minister Thyssen's Press-point, (Comp. Supra).

At this Stage, it remains, however, to take due Care for that Draft Not to risk to be Criticized for any eventual Discrimination against On-Line Medias, compared to Traditional Medias, which would, obviously, be Both irrational, not legitimate, and almost certainly illegal. It all depends, naturally, on How exactly will be Crafted the Precise Wording of the Final Text.

- As MP Studer confirmed to "Eurofora", it's expected to be Voted by the French Parliamentary Assembly at the Beginning of June 2018, and, afterwards, it will follow the usual Procedure of Debate and Vote also by the Senate, according to the results of which, it will be brought to President Macron for official Promulgation, so that it might, probably, enter into force, around the Beginning of 2018's Autumn.

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- However, when Minister Thyssen gave the above-mentioned Reply to "Eurofora"s main Question about a Definition of Journalism closer to Press Deontology, instead of mere Fiscal aspects, (Comp. Supra), she chose to cite as an Example supposed to Advance in this Direction, a 2016 Law, which had been Drafted by the former President of French Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Cultural/Media Affairs, Patrick Bloche :

 - F.ex., already, "we had the Bloche Law on (Press) Deontology, which was adopted a few time ago", she simply pointed out, in this regard.

Indeed, that Law speaks about Press Deontology, and apparentlly seeks to Protect Journalists against some eventual Pressure to go against it.

But it does so mainly in the case of eventual Differences between a Subordinate Paid Worker and his Boss, inside a Collective Business outlet, etc.

Therefore, it does Not contain any kind of innovative Definition of Journalism "erga omnes" at all.

In Addition, that quite Controversial Law had been Attacked by MPs and Senators before the Constitutional Court in France, which declared at least 1 of its main Articles as UnConstitutional.

Moreover, several Medias, even Traditional Mainstream Newspapers (as f.ex. "Liberation" : Center Left, etc) have, meanwhile, Published some very Critical Articles, which Denounced, in particular, that some Ambiguities in that 2016 Law, might, in Fact, instead of Protecting Journalists, (as its Initial and Official Aim was), it might, on the Contrary, provoke even certain Dangers against Press Freedom, in certain cases...

=> Therefore, it's obvious that the Need to susbtantiate further, with concrete examples Medias Minister Thyssen's overall Positive appraisal, in her Reply to "Eurofora"'s above-mentioned Question, (Comp. Supra), stil remains.

Hopefully, some interesting relevant elements of Fact might, eventually, Start to Arrive, in one way or another, at the Horizon of a foreseeable Future, asap....

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+ "Culture-Pass"
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+ For the Rest, Earlier Today, Francoise Nyssen, as Minister of Culture, had notoriously Launched, elsewhere, the experimental stage of a Popular New Measure due to Help Young Students' Access to Culture, nick-named "Pass-Culture", in Agreement with the University of Strasbourg :

- Those sympahetic events took place at the National Theater of Strasbourg (TNS), after a Meeting with a Team of Young People at the adjacent Museum of Famous Cartoonist "Tomy Ungerer", (by a Coincidence, located side by side with CoE Secretary General's Home !).

But, even if we had been Accredited also for that Event, unfortunately, this happened almost at the Same Hour, during which, "Eurofora" and several Other Journalists, had to made a Press Coverage of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's official visit at the ENA School for Senior Officials of Public Admiistrations, at the Other Side of Strasbourg... (See our NewsReport, with Statements made by PM. Philippe, and other relevant News, from the spot at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/frenchprilmeministeronenaschoolasitalydecides.html).

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Nevertheless, "Eurofora" had the opportunity to Meet, just a few Minutes after Nyssen's departure from the TNS, a group of 3 Young Students who had personally Participated to those events on that "Culture-Pass" Card :

- By speaking briefly with them on the spot, it became Clear that they appeared very Glad for that Move, (at least at this Stage), made according to New French President Emmanuel Macron's Electoral Promises of 2017, as they Reminded themselves, which is due to Give them a kind of Credit up to 500 € per Year in order to Pay for Access to various Cultural Events, that they are, in principle, "Free" to choose, where, when and as they Like, (f.ex. on many, or few, even one event, etc).

Last, but not least, by a Coincidence, Both 3 of them, told "Eurofora" that they were Originated from "Selestat" Village, Near Strasbourg, i.e. the precise Strategic Local Crossroads from which we had taken a Train recently in our way Back from President Macron's recent Trip up to the Nearby Vosges' Mountains, where he Launched the 1st "EU Citizens' Public Consultation" on Europe's Future (at Epinal City), before Visiting also various Other landmark, Rural but Historic Areas, (such as, f.ex. Saint-Dié city, etc. : See Macron's Reply to "Eurofora"s Question there at: ....)
 

(../..)

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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already send, Earlier, to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap)

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