Death of Press Reform in France

Abstract

W hat has happened to the movement to reform the French press? Only a short time ago, backed by public sentiment which had at long last become aroused over evils in the existing system, reform seemed imminent. But the reform movement is now apparently dead. Instead of being confronted with Blum's reform proposals, the French press is faced with Daladier's censorship decrees. Press regulation is of course a grave matter in any democracy, but in France, for reasons peculiar to that country, the question has particularly serious implications. The causes for the reform effort, the successful attempt to defeat it, and the issues involved in the struggle are worthy of examination. On November 26, i936, the Popular Front Ministry, of which Leon Blum was President of the Council, submitted to the Chamber of Deputies a series of proposed laws which would have completely changed the regulations regarding the press. With only slight modifications the Chamber accepted the proposals, but Senate amendments removed the bill's teeth, and a deadlock ensued between the two houses of the French parliament. This deadlock remained unbroken until establishment of government by decree. Subsequently several attempts were made to secure passage of bills which embodied certain features of the Blum proposals, or which in some other manner suggested changes in the existing press regulations, but they too were either rejected or postponed. A majority of the French journals-not only the organs of the Right and Center but some of the more important Left journals