Without a break
Column On the eve of the "Day without Sarkozy", the President went on television: 19 million viewers - but already a little less approval.
Column
On the evening before the "Day without Sarkozy", the President went on television: 19 million viewers - but already a little less approval.
"Sarkozy and the media" is a never-ending story. The president appears on television three times more often than his predecessors. Sequences that are not shown by French broadcasters - private and public - are circulating on the Internet. For example, his appearance at the G8 summit in Germany, where he appeared rather tipsy at the final press conference. Or when he somehow loses his nerve. Like in a conversation with journalist Lesley Stahl, who interviewed him for the "60 Minutes" program on CBS in the Elysée before his state visit to the United States. It was shortly before the divorce, and Lesley Stahl also asked him about his wife. Sarkozy stood up and left the room, his last remark "what a complete idiot" clearly audible. He is said to have been referring to his media advisor, who was not in control of the questionnaire or the reporter. "What's the problem?" she shouts after him in disbelief and can't believe it. Of course, CBS broadcast the sequence in full. And on YouTube or DailyMotion, millions of French people have also seen their unruly president. Sarko is a cult figure on the net - and this is a welcome correction to the cult of personality that the French media has staged around him. And directed by Sarkozy himself.
The media people have to follow his monkey pace. He changes his program every day, to the despair of the journalists accredited to him. Numerous media outlets have been forced to assign a second correspondent to Sarkozy. There is hardly any time left to think, research and delve deeper - and that is precisely Sakozy's strategy. Every day a scoop, a sensation, an appearance that makes the previous day's event appear to be a primeval story.
The news broadcasters, however, are jubilant: "He's in charge of the entire program," enthuses the head of LCI: "Thanks to Sarkozy, there's always something going on." And it's cheap. His colleague from rival broadcaster i-télé is just as enthusiastic: "He's always up to date." The chief correspondent at TF1 groans under the abundance of attractive images, which he can no longer fit into the daily news. Mitterrand, a Socialist, and Chirac, a Newaullist, were very different people and presidents. But, surprisingly, they had the same media advisor. The latter preached moderation, scarcity - it was certainly a guarantee of their astonishing longevity. The process of wear and tear was slowed down.
Sarkozy, on the other hand, practices permanent presence. Despite occasional bouts of nausea, from which media consumers have not been spared, he has not yet had to worry that his omnipresence could lead to oversaturation. Perhaps not yet. But perhaps under Sarkozy, even this iron media law simply no longer applies.
Back in the summer, a group of media ecologists launched the idea of a "day without Sarkozy" in the media - also a bit of a joke. They agreed on November 30 because Sarkozy had announced his candidacy on this day a year ago. The evening before, the President brought TF1 and France 2 to the Elysée - 19 million viewers. No one knows whether the President was playing a little joke on his critics. It was the first time he had addressed the nation since the strikes. The "day without Sarkozy" became the day on which his presence reached a peak. No newspaper, no audiovisual institution respected the call.
But it was discussed. There were reports about the initiators. Journalists and the media began to reflect on their role.
And apparently the French have also become a little more critical. During the broadcast, the degree of approval or disapproval was measured across all topics: Sarkozy's speech and gestures are viewed more skeptically. It is undoubtedly too early for a massive backlash. But the title under which Le Monde reported on this survey speaks volumes. And suggests that the critical self-reflection of media professionals may not have been without consequences: "Is Sarkozy less well received on television?" asked the newspaper. And almost couldn't believe it. In any case, Sarkozy himself has not changed. Perhaps his advisors will now order him to take a break from broadcasting after all - until the media show signs of deficiency.
Jürg Altwegg is a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine in Geneva.
On the evening before the "Day without Sarkozy", the President went on television: 19 million viewers - but already a little less approval.
"Sarkozy and the media" is a never-ending story. The president appears on television three times more often than his predecessors. Sequences that are not shown by French broadcasters - private and public - are circulating on the Internet. For example, his appearance at the G8 summit in Germany, where he appeared rather tipsy at the final press conference. Or when he somehow loses his nerve. Like in a conversation with journalist Lesley Stahl, who interviewed him for the "60 Minutes" program on CBS in the Elysée before his state visit to the United States. It was shortly before the divorce, and Lesley Stahl also asked him about his wife. Sarkozy stood up and left the room, his last remark "what a complete idiot" clearly audible. He is said to have been referring to his media advisor, who was not in control of the questionnaire or the reporter. "What's the problem?" she shouts after him in disbelief and can't believe it. Of course, CBS broadcast the sequence in full. And on YouTube or DailyMotion, millions of French people have also seen their unruly president. Sarko is a cult figure on the net - and this is a welcome correction to the cult of personality that the French media has staged around him. And directed by Sarkozy himself.
The media people have to follow his monkey pace. He changes his program every day, to the despair of the journalists accredited to him. Numerous media outlets have been forced to assign a second correspondent to Sarkozy. There is hardly any time left to think, research and delve deeper - and that is precisely Sakozy's strategy. Every day a scoop, a sensation, an appearance that makes the previous day's event appear to be a primeval story.
The news broadcasters, however, are jubilant: "He's in charge of the entire program," enthuses the head of LCI: "Thanks to Sarkozy, there's always something going on." And it's cheap. His colleague from rival broadcaster i-télé is just as enthusiastic: "He's always up to date." The chief correspondent at TF1 groans under the abundance of attractive images, which he can no longer fit into the daily news. Mitterrand, a Socialist, and Chirac, a Newaullist, were very different people and presidents. But, surprisingly, they had the same media advisor. The latter preached moderation, scarcity - it was certainly a guarantee of their astonishing longevity. The process of wear and tear was slowed down.
Sarkozy, on the other hand, practices permanent presence. Despite occasional bouts of nausea, from which media consumers have not been spared, he has not yet had to worry that his omnipresence could lead to oversaturation. Perhaps not yet. But perhaps under Sarkozy, even this iron media law simply no longer applies.
Back in the summer, a group of media ecologists launched the idea of a "day without Sarkozy" in the media - also a bit of a joke. They agreed on November 30 because Sarkozy had announced his candidacy on this day a year ago. The evening before, the President brought TF1 and France 2 to the Elysée - 19 million viewers. No one knows whether the President was playing a little joke on his critics. It was the first time he had addressed the nation since the strikes. The "day without Sarkozy" became the day on which his presence reached a peak. No newspaper, no audiovisual institution respected the call.
But it was discussed. There were reports about the initiators. Journalists and the media began to reflect on their role.
And apparently the French have also become a little more critical. During the broadcast, the degree of approval or disapproval was measured across all topics: Sarkozy's speech and gestures are viewed more skeptically. It is undoubtedly too early for a massive backlash. But the title under which Le Monde reported on this survey speaks volumes. And suggests that the critical self-reflection of media professionals may not have been without consequences: "Is Sarkozy less well received on television?" asked the newspaper. And almost couldn't believe it. In any case, Sarkozy himself has not changed. Perhaps his advisors will now order him to take a break from broadcasting after all - until the media show signs of deficiency.
Jürg Altwegg is a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine in Geneva.
