The animators of the debate
Column The spectre of the media without journalists is going around, even in France. Their role in the election campaign has never been as insignificant as it is this time.
Column The spectre of the media without journalists is spreading, even in France. Their role in the election campaign has never been as insignificant as it is this time around. The economic catastrophe of the newspapers has led to the identity crisis of an entire profession. On television, the political programs that were declared dead are experiencing a resurrection and celebrating record ratings - with politicians being interviewed directly by voters. The campaign is also bypassing journalists on the Internet. Yet interest in the election is huge. When the news magazines put candidates on the cover, circulation rises by a quarter. Le Figaro sells a few tens of thousands more copies than usual on some days. Dozens of political books have been published and are selling like hot cakes. Their authors are granted the independence that journalists have lost due to their proximity to power and the concentration of power in the media sector. Thirty years ago, the communist leader Georges Marchais said to the TV star presenter, "Taisez-vous, Elkabach," and "Shut up." Their importance in an election campaign has never been so low. It's not quite that bad nowadays, but the self-important arrogance of the candidates in the election campaign does not bode well for their exercise of power. If he doesn't like a clip, Nicolas Sarkozy says what he thinks of the report. The presenter feels like a disciplined student. He threw a tantrum in the France 3 studio because he was kept waiting while his make-up was applied and the TV director had not come in person. He has the filming of his public appearances produced by himself - and they are even taken over by public television, whose cameramen have to make do with worse seats. New reports can be seen daily on his website, reporting on his deeds at close quarters: Propaganda in the web age, but at the same time more revealing than many TV programs in the information department.
Events with politicians have been the nightmare of station bosses in recent years - now they are achieving top ratings. A "panel" of one hundred French people, who are supposed to represent a cross-section of society, is invited into the studio - the pollsters are responsible for the selection. The title of the program: "I have a question for you." Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, TF1's star presenter, has never looked so bemused at the cameras. The man interviewing the President of the Republic at eye level on July 14 plays an extra role - and rarely gets enough of a shot. The puck goes back and forth, but always past the presenter. Only with difficulty does he get into the game: "I think Ginette has a question about that." Ginette asks the candidate whether her glasses will be covered by health insurance under his rule. The pollsters even had an invalid ready for Ségolène Royal. She went up to him, stroked him - and scored points. Thanks to this show, the woman who was thought to have been defeated came back into the race.
The new format, which was tested for the first time at the beginning of the year, is so successful that Germany and Italy are interested in it. The Spanish have bought it - and have already embarrassed their prime minister. When asked how much a cup of coffee costs, he said the price was far too low. In France, other election broadcasts have also adapted to this pattern - in a more moderate form. "The TV stations are reconciling the public with politics", stated Figaro in amazement.
At a conference in Lille in March, the Association of Francophone Journalists complained bitterly about the loss of importance of its members. Internet portals were accused of a "demagogic approach to information". And the program "I have a question for you" was accused of robbing journalists of their task and degrading them to "animators of public debate".
There will certainly be answers to these changes and challenges. Le Monde has provided - not the best ones. The newspaper listed the nonsense that the candidates were allowed to spout unchallenged in the show without journalists. But nobody was interested in that the day after.
Jürg Altwegg is a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine in Geneva.
Events with politicians have been the nightmare of station bosses in recent years - now they are achieving top ratings. A "panel" of one hundred French people, who are supposed to represent a cross-section of society, is invited into the studio - the pollsters are responsible for the selection. The title of the program: "I have a question for you." Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, TF1's star presenter, has never looked so bemused at the cameras. The man interviewing the President of the Republic at eye level on July 14 plays an extra role - and rarely gets enough of a shot. The puck goes back and forth, but always past the presenter. Only with difficulty does he get into the game: "I think Ginette has a question about that." Ginette asks the candidate whether her glasses will be covered by health insurance under his rule. The pollsters even had an invalid ready for Ségolène Royal. She went up to him, stroked him - and scored points. Thanks to this show, the woman who was thought to have been defeated came back into the race.
The new format, which was tested for the first time at the beginning of the year, is so successful that Germany and Italy are interested in it. The Spanish have bought it - and have already embarrassed their prime minister. When asked how much a cup of coffee costs, he said the price was far too low. In France, other election broadcasts have also adapted to this pattern - in a more moderate form. "The TV stations are reconciling the public with politics", stated Figaro in amazement.
At a conference in Lille in March, the Association of Francophone Journalists complained bitterly about the loss of importance of its members. Internet portals were accused of a "demagogic approach to information". And the program "I have a question for you" was accused of robbing journalists of their task and degrading them to "animators of public debate".
There will certainly be answers to these changes and challenges. Le Monde has provided - not the best ones. The newspaper listed the nonsense that the candidates were allowed to spout unchallenged in the show without journalists. But nobody was interested in that the day after.
Jürg Altwegg is a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine in Geneva.
