France: Macron to fight fake news
France's President Emmanuel Macron has launched a campaign against fake news. He plans to build on the idea of Reporters Without Borders and label media as reliable or unreliable in order to stem the spread of disinformation. His critics accuse him of wanting to control the media and of curbing the freedom of the press. Macron insists that independent experts would award the certificate, not the state.
Ill-advised and dangerous
Macron is on shaky territory, warns Le Temps:
“Although his initiative may be well intentioned in view of the manipulations of certain billionaires or even the Russian regime, it is nevertheless ill-advised. If you need convincing, you need only observe how it has impacted French debate over the last few days. The idea could even be dangerous. Anyone who doubts this should consider what they would think if the [right-wing populist] Rassemblement National comes to power and does the same thing.”
Freedom of expression should not become a farce
High-quality journalism must be recognisable, emphasises Libération:
“Certifying a free activity such as journalism goes against the very nature of our profession. However, this profession deserves to be defended and acknowledged for what it is. It is not a question of prohibiting or censoring, but simply of ensuring, through visible labelling, that particular content is the result of journalistic work, as defined by the profession. In the words of Hannah Arendt, 'freedom of expression is a farce if information about the facts is not guaranteed'. ... This is precisely where we find ourselves today.”
Social media is an unregulated grey area
Macron's approach involves numerous risks, L’Opinion warns:
“There is a danger here of missing the point. The biggest source of fake news is social media, which has no legal accountability and it is an illusion to think that its entire output could be scrutinised and verified. As for other media outlets, rating them can quickly lead to political instrumentalisation. ... If you certify media you soon end up labelling opinions. A dangerous trend.”