Media News - Tuesday, May 13, 2008

French left accuses Sarkozy of intimidating media

France’s opposition Socialists have accused the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party of intimidating the media, in the latest of a series of debates on press freedom since President Nicolas Sarkozy took office a year ago. Sarkozy last week accused five media organisations, including the French news agency AFP, of showing bias against him by giving insufficient coverage to a court ruling that went against his former rival for presidency, Socialist Segolene Royal. Following the comments by Sarkozy, other members of his party have also criticised AFP and the row has intensified. Sarkozy has close friendships with the heads of several major French media companies, and some critics have long accused him of seeking to influence coverage, a charge he denies. His accusations come at a time when his popularity ratings have plunged to a record low, due to economic trouble and perceived excessive focus on his personal life. The press has widely reported and commented on the poll ratings. The media branches of two major unions, CFDT and CFTC, issued statements, saying they were worried Sarkozy was trying to use journalists as scapegoats for his low popularity. But UMP spokesman Frederic Lefebvre insisted that all the ruling party was asking for was a ‘neutral’ press. Lefebvre accused AFP of ‘censorship’ because it did not report on several press statements by the ruling party on the issue of the Royal court ruling, which concerns a decade-old dispute between the two associates over unpaid wages. AFP rejected the accusation, saying it was free to decide what was newsworthy. The two unions also defended AFP, saying it had repeatedly covered the court ruling and was not required to cover every single UMP statement. (Reuters)

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