A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #348 - Politics, General Information Statement: Democratic and financial issues (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Continuing the Macron method of the Estates General which serves no 
purpose, the Estates General of Information opened in October 2023 for 
conclusions in June 2024. Without any illusions about the seriousness of 
the consultation, the stakes are nevertheless considerable. A handful of 
billionaires and two banks control most of the media groups (press, 
radio and television). And technological changes increase the risks of 
contradictory information disappearing. However, real pluralism is the 
basis of a real democracy.
Numerous laws and regulations govern the written press and its rich 
subsidies. Others manage radio and television: allocation of channels, 
control of content... Those who share the advertising pie are as complex 
as the rights and duties of journalists: defamation, protection of 
sources... So when the government announces that it will "modernize" 
everything, professionals rush to defend their pre-requirements and 
citizens must closely monitor the consequences on democracy. Especially 
since the development of digital platforms, algorithms and artificial 
intelligence poses new problems in the choice of information 
highlighted, in the automatic reproduction of dominant ideas and the 
production of false news.

We know nothing of Macron's plans, other than the reaffirmation of the 
owner's right to choose the editorial line of the media he owns. The 
same thinking is being done in Brussels. The European "Committee" which 
monitors the audiovisual sector is broadening its powers to the written 
press by strengthening its prerogatives: on the secrecy of sources and 
cybersurveillance of the media in the name of "national security", on 
the concentration of the media, on the removal of content in the name of 
fighting external interference. Which amounts to the formalization of 
censorship which will also sanction "revolutionary" opinions when the 
day comes.

States General of the Independent Press
A counter-initiative has been built around Mediapart: the Estates 
General of the Independent Press. Around a hundred media outlets 
produced 59 measures, presented on November 30 in Paris in front of a 
thousand people then presented in decentralized meetings. Libertarian 
Alternative is associated with this dynamic despite the limits of the 
document because it contains a number of interesting demands, against 
the concentration of the media or on the protection of sources and the 
independence of the editorial staff. This document is nevertheless very 
marked by corporatist demands (press aid reserved for media employing 
professional journalists) and by an illusion about journalistic ethics 
whose independence would be sufficient for the impartiality of information.

In his long speech, Edwy Plenel hit the nail on the head by contrasting 
news media and opinion media. Should we then burn the political and 
trade union, cultural, literary, associative and scientific press which 
relies on volunteers or experts and academics, a press which represents 
an important part of real pluralism? Should we believe in the concept of 
journalistic neutrality? However, the allocation of the CPPAP 
number[1]which allows access to certain aid could be reserved only for 
media hiring professional journalists. This would cause a massacre and 
Alternative Libertaire would be among the victims.

For organized pluralism (no one can channel us)
Freedom of expression is a key concept for a self-governing society. 
Revolutionaries have been torn apart over these questions since the 
banning of "Versailles" newspapers by the Paris Commune in 1871! But 
apart from hateful and discriminatory calls, nothing should prevent all 
opinions from finding their media echo in the intellectual, political 
and democratic debate.

To fight against the authoritarian tendencies of any State, we remain 
defenders of the absolute freedom to create a media. But in a capitalist 
regime, freedom is always that of the market. Defending true pluralism 
requires a public service organized and financed by the community. To 
defend the pluralism of the press at the Liberation, France had put in 
place an egalitarian and cooperative system of distribution of 
newspapers so that they could all be presented to readers in an equal 
manner. We demand the restoration of this now misguided system, as well 
as its extension to shared printing and distribution tools (kiosks and 
subscribers) for titles contributing to the pluralism of political, 
artistic, union, philosophical and scientific opinions without 
advertising. . The same institution should be created to counter the 
weight of GAFAM in the dematerialized distribution of information.

Faced with Bolloré and the fascist excesses of the media of the 
Catholic-traditionalist industrialist, the Council of State summons 
Arcom[2]to establish stricter standards for counting speaking times to 
include not only political guests but also the "editorialists" and other 
"experts" who are in fact activists. It is better than nothing but does 
not ensure true pluralism guaranteeing the expression of minorities. 
When will we see libertarian communists at 8 p.m.? When will there be a 
libertarian TV channel? "Internal pluralism" or the guaranteed 
expression of all currents of ideas in a media is in practice a 
compromise between center right and center left! We must claim "external 
pluralism" with equal means for all currents of thought to express 
themselves. And therefore essential public funding in the face of the 
confiscation of the media by billionaires.

Finally, the States General of Information should also address the 
growing precariousness of employees in the media industries: 
freelancers, self-employed in graphics and correction, convicts in press 
distribution... but that is complete silence.

Jean-Yves (UCL Limousin)

For further:
States-general-information.fr
Fondspresselibre.org
Acrimed.org/Medias-francais-qui-possesde-quoi
Arcom.fr

To validate

[1]The Joint Commission for Publications and Press Agencies, made up of 
State representatives and press professionals.

[2]The Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, 
the result of the merger of the CSA and Hadopi on January 1, 2022.

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Etats-generaux-de-l-information-Des-enjeux-democratiques-et-financiers
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