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by laurent92 1750 days ago
France has a public agency, AFP, being the news arbiter (it’s the Reuters competitor). Yet, information is bullshit. They choose to report on some topics and not others, and they choose to publish extremely biased news without quoting the opposing side to interview their defense. Happens with the wage gap, happens with the Traoré, happens with Sarkozysm, happens with Fillion... It sways elections.

Owned 56% by the state.
3 comments
garbagetime 1750 days ago
That doesn't rule out public ownership as a necessary condition - only as a sufficient one.
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tsimionescu 1749 days ago
State ownership is just one small step above private ownership. A far more interesting organization would be a news co-op, preferably one not backed by ads. Unfortunately there are massive hurdles in front of such an organization existing. Not least of which, they might actually report things that it does not do to worry the public over.
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sofixa 1749 days ago
> happens with Sarkozysm, happens with Fillion... It sways elections.

In which sense did it happen? They didn't report on it or they did without "quoting the opposing side"? Specifically in the case of Fillon, the guy was caught stealing from the state in a pretty obvious manner ( his wife was receiving a salary for being his parliamentary assistant for like 15 years, while never having received a pass to actually get in the parliament). There was little of substance he could say, and when he did say it, it was obviously complete bullshit. Yes, it swayed the elections ( he was the favourite to win) and thankfully, that's not the type of person anyone should want running the country.

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laurent92 1749 days ago
The judge admitted she received pressure to investigate this affair.

All deputees use the assistant salary evasive mission loophole, only candidates who are potent competitors are found out by journalists. Meanwhile Macron’s assistant had 6 diplomatic passports and a gun after being fired for mugging political opponents (!), yet journalists uniformly said that it probably was a honest mistake by the passport department.

State-owned AFP and most journals being >1/3rd sponsored by the government is clearly helping the mugging of political opponents in France, whether through the use of media, judges or by simple private thugs armed with guns and diplomatic passports.

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