Deontology of French Journalism in Contemporary Political Context

Abstract

In the focus of the article are different views of French media representatives on the appropriateness of the Council for Deontology and Mediation, founded in France in December 2019. Te Council positions itself as an independent structure that carries out the functions of self-regulation (within the profession), and co-regulation (between journalists and audience) in the feld of mass media based on French and international codes of journalism ethics. Te Council considers mass media audience complaints about journalists’ violation of professional ethics and acts as an intermediary in resolving information disputes between journalists, publishers and the audience.Te main goal of the Council on Deontology and Mediation is to restore the audience’s trust in mass media and create a culture of honest journalism. However, its establishment and activities provoked a ferce debate in the French journalism community, splitting it into two camps. Te opponents, who happened to be in the majority, do not recognize the legitimacy of the Council and refuse to work with it.In this respect, the article examines the following issues: a brief history of French and international codes of journalism ethics; the reasons of the crisis of trust to traditional media; the political context in which the Council for Deontology and Mediation emerged; the Council’s structure and functions; arguments put for and against its activities; analysis of two cases that illustrate its activities.Te article is based on materials taken from traditional French media: Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, Les Échos, L’Express, La Croix; online media: Médiapart and Contexte, as well as TV interviews with media representatives.