Unrest Forces French Media to Confront Tough Questions Over Coverage

AP News ^ | Nov 12, 2005 | Elaine Ganley

[NewMediaFan]

PARIS (AP) - Unrest wracking France for more than two weeks presents a tough challenge to French media.

At least two television stations scaled back broadcasting images of flaming vehicles - a mainstay of coverage - to avoid stoking violence. Some channels decided not to provide daily police figures on the number of cars burned overnight, in the thousands since troubles began Oct. 27.

Is it self-censorship? Or a sense of responsibility?

Television stations that are holding back deny any influence from police, who insist publicity for the riots has fueled "copycat" violence. Instead, the stations say they don't want to play into the hands of rampaging youths seeking coverage of what they see as their exploits...

[listenhillary]

What they should show is the 400 or so rioters that are behind bars.

[TASMANIANRED]

Hmmmm..

During the Rodney King riots. The MSM repeatedly played the beating tape to inflame further rioting...

[Fenris6]

Via Belmont Club:

French Journalist: "Politics in France is heading to the right and I don’t want rightwing politicians back in second, or even first place because we showed burning cars on television," Jean-Claude Dassier, the director general of the rolling news service TCI, says. ... Hence Dassier’s channel, which is owned by the private broadcaster TF1, has decided not to show footage of burning cars. Dassier also criticised the “excessive” coverage of the riots by international (read: Anglo-Saxon) news networks. ... Early this week the public television station France 3 had already stopped broadcasting the daily number of torched cars, while other TV stations followed suit. "Do we send teams of journalists because cars are burning, or are the cars burning because we sent teams of journalists?"

http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/

[NewMediaFan]

Thanks. That explains a lot.

[ApplegateRanch]

de Villepin (he is a man by the way)

You sure? You could not prove to me he ever had (let alone has) a pair.

[backhoe]

Is Paris Burning? ( Religion of Peace® Alert )
Click the picture:

Islam, The Alleged Religion of Peace® ( TARP™ )? Click this picture:

No, I am not exaggerating. Click the pic, go to "last," and read backwards.
If you are not informed about this stuff, you will be made sick. If you are informed, you will be made mad, all over again.

---

Then, there is this little problem...

For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:

---

Kindly note tagline:

Is Paris Burning? ( Religion of Peace® Alert )
Click the picture:

Islam, The Alleged Religion of Peace® ( TARP™ )? Click this picture:

No, I am not exaggerating. Click the pic, go to "last," and read backwards.
If you are not informed about this stuff, you will be made sick. If you are informed, you will be made mad, all over again.

---

Then, there is this little problem...

For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:

---

Kindly note tagline:

[Earthdweller]

This explains the media "blackout". The french are worried about their Christmas tourism.

Riots leave mark on French economy .

"More than two weeks of rioting by youths in France have left a mark on the country's less than shining economy."

"The direct losses -- despite spectacular pictures of buses and carpet warehouses ablaze -- are small. It is France's image that has suffered the greatest damage."

"Though it markets itself worldwide as a land of luxury, culture and savoir-vivre, France has now been seen pocked with poverty and violence. The French tourist industry fears that business may fall off during the important Christmas season as a result."

[popdonnelly]

"French Journalist: "Politics in France is heading to the right and I don’t want rightwing politicians back in second, or even first place because we showed burning cars on television,"

Hey, it's great to see the French don't have the leftist bias in the news media that we have here.