Censorship of Yellow Vest protests in France

Oxter · 11-02-2019 5:23am #1

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

Your Face · 11-02-2019 5:28am

If it was censored we wouldn't know so much about it.

There have being more protests over the last few years in Europe.

The reason you dont much after the initial reports is because these groups have no clear or concise message and no follow-through.

Peregrinus · 11-02-2019 5:46am

... and because our media is still fairly anglocentric. Events in most European countries tend to get fairly cursory coverage.

ted1 · 11-02-2019 5:51am

Oxter wrote: »

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

It’s kicak french news. Not much interest in it here.

freshpopcorn · 11-02-2019 6:34am

I see enough off it!

I wonder did French news cover the protest outside Simon Harris's house and Paul Murphy with his mega phone in Jobstown?

11-02-2019 6:36am

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I see enough off it!

I wonder did French news cover the protest outside Simon Harris's house and Paul Murphy with his mega phone in Jobstown?

I get the French papers in work, they're barely covering Brexit!

VinLieger · 11-02-2019 7:37am

Oxter wrote: »

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

Did French national media report daily on our water protests at the time?

Fighting Tao · 11-02-2019 7:41am

It’s mad how often people claim censorship these days. The longer a story goes on the less/no coverage it gets. It was covered a lot at the start. It’s old news now. No censorship going on at all.

Oxter · 11-02-2019 7:43am

VinLieger wrote: »

Did French national media report daily on our water protests at the time?

They were a minor disorganised ripple.

Oxter · 11-02-2019 7:50am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I get the French papers in work, they're barely covering Brexit!

The French would hsve guillotined Harris and othrrs over their handling of the new childrens hospital (tne most expensive ever builr worldwide) and newly qualified nurses being paid €13.50ph, less thsn clesning stsff.

11-02-2019 8:34am

VinLieger wrote: »

Did French national media report daily on our water protests at the time?

Oui, d'accord

https://actu.orange.fr/societe/videos/manifestation-contre-la-fin-de-la-gratuite-de-l-eau-en-irlande-VID0000001rMa7.html

Annasopra · 11-02-2019 8:37am

Our media tends to focus mainly on English speaking countries. Theres no conspiracy.

Suckler · 11-02-2019 8:40am

Fighting Tao wrote: »

It’s mad how often people claim censorship these days. The longer a story goes on the less/no coverage it gets. It was covered a lot at the start. It’s old news now. No censorship going on at all.

Especially these days when news channels/programs/websites are a 24 hour constant. They cannot keep the same headlines every hour without updates/changes or the next 'click-bait' style headline will take people away.

_Brian · 11-02-2019 8:45am

It’s just not interesting to most people.

Bob24 · 11-02-2019 8:55am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I get the French papers in work, they're barely covering Brexit!

Either you don’t read them or you’re not being honest about it.

To talk about something I know for sure, I read Le Figaro everyday and they definitly have several articles per week related to Brexit. I wouldn’t quite say every day but at least every second day.

ShatterProof · 11-02-2019 8:57am

What yellow vest protests are you talking about?

Wanderer78 · 11-02-2019 8:58am

Seen some footage yesterday of yellow vests fighting yellow vests, tis nasty enough over there

11-02-2019 8:59am

Bob24 wrote: »

Either you don’t read them or you’re not being honest about it.

I read Le Figaro everyday and they definitly have several articles per week related to Brexit. I wouldn’t quite say every day but at least every second day.

I said barely, I was also kidding. But relative the saturated coverage of Brexit here in and in the UK media, yeah, it is barely covered, both in terms of the frequency of its coverage and in its detail. Nobody in France that I know has much of an idea about it, except that it's happening and the Brits have no plan.

It's just interesting to note the difference, even though France is also one of the UKs biggest trading partners.

Also, Le Figaro ? Sniff.

_Brian · 11-02-2019 9:06am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I said barely, I was also kidding. But relative the saturated coverage of Brexit here in and in the UK media, yeah, it is barely covered, both in terms of the frequency of its coverage and in its detail. Nobody in France that I know has much of an idea about it, except that it's happening and the Brits have no plan.

It's just interesting to note the difference, even though France is also one of the UKs biggest trading partners.

Also, Le Figaro ? Sniff.

Brexit effects will be slow and long term in France somit matters little.

Here however it has potential to plunge us into deep recession within a short time. It’s much more relevant here.

AlphabetCards · 11-02-2019 9:10am

There were yellow vest protests in London, and they didn't make the news either. Crazy situation, I've been following the situation in France through periscope and twitter, the parisienne fire brigade have been fighting the cops and THAT didn't even make the news. There are scores of wounded, a few dead and nothing from RTE or BBC.

sk8erboii · 11-02-2019 9:18am

Oxter wrote: »

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

You dont know what censorship means do you?

Bob24 · 11-02-2019 9:19am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I said barely, I was also kidding. But relative the saturated coverage of Brexit here in and in the UK media, yeah, it is barely covered, both in terms of the frequency of its coverage and in its detail. Nobody in France that I know has much of an idea about it, except that it's happening and the Brits have no plan.

It's just interesting to note the difference, even though France is also one of the UKs biggest trading partners.

Also, Le Figaro ? Sniff.

You said the French press barely covers Brexit, and I am quoting the French national paper with the highest circulation (yes, Le Figaro) which is reporting about it at least every second day (which about any topic can't possibly be called barely).

Also for your reference and amongst Brexit related topics, they have covered the issue of the Irish border and the backstop in details on a few occasions (one example here).

So kidding or not, it is simply incorrect to say there is no in depth coverage and Brexit is barely covered.

Now to go back on topic I am not saying the Irish press should necesseraly cover the yellow jacket protests equally, but using so-called weak Brexit coverage in the French press to explain it would make no sense.

11-02-2019 9:26am

Bob24 wrote: »

You said the French press barely covers Brexit, and I am quoting the French national paper with the highest circulation (yes, Le Figaro) which is reporting about it at least every second day (which about any topic can't possibly be called barely).

Also for your reference and amongst Brexit related topics, they have covered the issue of the Irish border and the backstop in details on a few occasions (one example here).

So kidding or not, it is simply incorrect to say there is no in depth coverage and Brexit is barely covered.

Now to go back on topic I am not saying the Irish press should necesseraly cover the yellow jacket protests equally, but using so-called weak Brexit coverage in the French press to explain it would make no sense.

Listen I know it's a Monday Morning in February but lighten up a bit man, I already explained that I was being tongue in cheek, but there is actually a serious point too, that in relative terms, French coverage of Brexit is weak. I don't read Le Figaro but that's my impression from Libération and Aujourd'hui, as well as French Radio coverage. Compare that to Ireland and Britain where huge resources are poured into discussing Brexit, probably at the cost to other issues of public importance.

pjohnson · 11-02-2019 9:27am

The Irish Yellow Vest breed of eejits got no coverage either.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 11-02-2019 9:31am

Oxter wrote: »

The French would hsve guillotined Harris and othrrs over their handling of the new childrens hospital (tne most expensive ever builr worldwide) and newly qualified nurses being paid €13.50ph, less thsn clesning stsff.

Which has what to do with media coverage?

Fighting Tao · 11-02-2019 9:32am

It’s also worth noting that most news is now consumed online. If a story is only generating 500 clicks a day, journalists would be directed to other stories that generate 5000 clicks instead as each click generates revenue. That’s the realities of free news.

Peregrinus · 11-02-2019 9:33am

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Listen I know it's a Monday Morning in February but lighten up a bit man, I already explained that I was being tongue in cheek, but there is actually a serious point too, that in relative terms, French coverage of Brexit is weak. I don't read Le Figaro but that's my impression from Libération and Aujourd'hui, as well as French Radio coverage. Compare that to Ireland and Britain where huge resources are poured into discussing Brexit, probably at the cost to other issues of public importance.

Brexit is important to France, but not nearly as important as it is to Ireland (or, obviously, the UK) so Brexit coverage in the French media will be correspondingly more limited.

orourkeda1977 · 11-02-2019 9:39am

Or Filly Joans as Joe Duffy calls them.

Gimme A Pound · 11-02-2019 9:39am

Oxter wrote: »

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

No, that's not what censorship is.

ShatterProof · 11-02-2019 11:08am

https://twitter.com/boucherhayes/status/1094622257182400513?s=08

Franz Von Peppercorn · 11-02-2019 7:26pm

AlphabetCards wrote: »

There were yellow vest protests in London, and they didn't make the news either. Crazy situation, I've been following the situation in France through periscope and twitter, the parisienne fire brigade have been fighting the cops and THAT didn't even make the news. There are scores of wounded, a few dead and nothing from RTE or BBC.

We really don’t have a news service anymore. People in the 19C and early 20C used to buy newspapers that were just that - no opinions, one editorial, some serialised stories, but mostly news. News reports. Court reports. Correspondents throughout the empire and beyond.

News from everywhere. If you finished the Times of London you knew what was happening from the assizes in Inverness, land agitation in Tipperary, South American riots, to an uprising in Timbuktu. Reports from whatever war zone was going on.

Now newspapers are basically opinion driven, even the best ones. The tabloids are not news and the broadsheets are barely news. The TV news is either local or parochial or subject to the ideological whims of the editor. Look at the non coverage of Yemen.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 11-02-2019 7:30pm

Maxim Steep Yam wrote: »

No, that's not what censorship is.

Kinda. Self censorship or ideologically drive censorship.

11-02-2019 7:34pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

We really don’t have a news service anymore. People in the 19C and early 20C used to buy newspapers that were just that - no opinions, one editorial, some serialised stories, but mostly news. News reports. Court reports. Correspondents throughout the empire and beyond.

it would be more correct to say that 19th and Early 20th century newspapers didn't distinguish between opinion vs news writing. The idea that newspapers and journalists wrote unbiased news is beyond a joke - news articles were heavily infected with opinion and bias in a way that most tabloids don't even get away with, these days.

Do the most cursory search of the archives of the Irish Independent, Times, or the Freeman's Journal and the rampant bias and contamination of news with opinion becomes immediately obvious.

The Rape of Lucretia · 11-02-2019 7:43pm

Oxter wrote: »

I have been in France twice lately and follow French news when at home.

There seems to be a policy by the media here of not reporting the scale of the protests in France. Censorship?

No. If there was news, it would be reported, but routine weekly weekend outings by people who dont have real hobbies like sports, music, leisure with the families, or, assorted cranks looking for a bit of bovver with the police, isnt really news. What are we up to now, Act 14 ? News reporting requires something 'new' to report.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 11-02-2019 7:51pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

it would be more correct to say that 19th and Early 20th century newspapers didn't distinguish between opinion vs news writing. The idea that newspapers and journalists wrote unbiased news is beyond a joke - news articles were heavily infected with opinion and bias in a way that most tabloids don't even get away with, these days.

Do the most cursory search of the archives of the Irish Independent, Times, or the Freeman's Journal and the rampant bias and contamination of news with opinion becomes immediately obvious.

Much of it was fairly bloodless in fact. The “from our correspondent” pieces were just factual descriptions.

There was propaganda of course, and yet more news was reported. The best propaganda is not telling the news unfavourable to your side at all, as Pravda used to do when it ignored the famine but reported on increased truck production in the factories of Minsk, and the US media does now when it fails to cover Yemen.

The economist still has this tradition of news reporting, to an extent, and you can ignore the editorialising.

Franz Von Peppercorn · 11-02-2019 7:54pm

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

No. If there was news, it would be reported, but routine weekly weekend outings by people who dont have real hobbies like sports, music, leisure with the families, or, assorted cranks looking for a bit of bovver with the police, isnt really news. What are we up to now, Act 14 ? News reporting requires something 'new' to report.

Brexit isn’t news by that logic. It’s ludicrous to say that rexporting on riots should have a shelf life, if riots happened in Dublin every week would RTE be justified in not reporting after the 3rd or 4th event?

Oxter · 11-02-2019 7:55pm

Ireland has sold its soul to big business who want to preserve their low corporation taxes here. They dont like tales of civil unrest.

The "Government" didnt want Apple"s €13bn backtax and are paying to hold it in an escrow account while the Anglo bondholders are still being paid back.

This low corporation tax rate has attracted the likes of Pornhub (worlds largest porn site) to base their hq here to make their $100 million income virtually tax free.

The French had a successful revolution before. Irelands was nearly as successful.

Will history repeat itself?

Grayson · 11-02-2019 7:56pm

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Oui, d'accord

https://actu.orange.fr/societe/videos/manifestation-contre-la-fin-de-la-gratuite-de-l-eau-en-irlande-VID0000001rMa7.html

But they've stopped reporting on it now? censorship!!!

Franz Von Peppercorn · 11-02-2019 7:58pm

Oxter wrote: »

This low corporation tax rate has attracted the likes of Pornhub (worlds largest porn site) to base their hq here to make their $100 million income virtually tax free.

You got a source for that. Googling Pornhub Dublin resulted in a lot of content but nothing about that.

Oxter · 11-02-2019 8:06pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

You got a source for that. Googling Pornhub Dublin resulted in a lot of content but nothing about that.

Mindgeek, Pornhubs psrent is based in Dublins Silicon Docks.

Google Mindgeek.

Googling Pornhub Dublin produces an avalanche of porn shot in Dublin!

Grayson · 11-02-2019 8:07pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

You got a source for that. Googling Pornhub Dublin resulted in a lot of content but nothing about that.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/pornography-company-records-19m-profit-at-irish-arm-1.3343837

It's their parent company.

Not that I'm worried about them being in dublin

The Rape of Lucretia · 11-02-2019 8:50pm

Franz Von Peppercorn wrote: »

Brexit isn’t news by that logic. It’s ludicrous to say that rexporting on riots should have a shelf life, if riots happened in Dublin every week would RTE be justified in not reporting after the 3rd or 4th event?

There is a lot going on in Brexit, and that the various steps are going nowhere is new in itself, and is being reported.

The media has no responsibility to be a publicity platform for those who want to get a message across. The gilets are as disorganised, shapeless, not sure what they want, why they are there, a protest, as there has ever been. Protest by tiny minorities are a nothing. Repeated multiple times, they are even less than that. And thats in France. So interest or relevance to Irish media consumers is nil. The weekend they arent out will be worth reporting though, since that will indeed be new.

Spannerplank · 11-02-2019 9:39pm

Your Face wrote: »

If it was censored we wouldn't know so much about it.

There have being more protests over the last few years in Europe.

The reason you dont much after the initial reports is because these groups have no clear or concise message and no follow-through.

Their message is pretty damn clear if you had been paying any kind of attention.

ambro25 · 12-02-2019 1:07am

Spannerplank wrote: »

Their message is pretty damn clear if you had been paying any kind of attention.

It was initially, but after Macron gave them what they wanted (postponment of fuel tax hikes) and crumbs ('national debate'), it isn't anymore: the message keeps on shifting and has descended into Occupy-like anti-everything militantism, losing public support as it gets ever more imprecise and confusing in the process.

This is why the movement is now gradually fading into oblivion, eventually with only the extremes left over to make any kind of protesting, with the consequences to be expected when we're talking about extremes.

After witnessing first-hand the antics of some yellow-jacketed neanderthals at a blockade a week ago, I'm not surprised in the least.

Censorship of Yellow Vest protests in France

Comments