Document details

Safety of Journalists in France

In: Safety of journalists in Europe: Threats and best practices to tackle them
Mária Žuffová; Roberta Carlini (eds.)
San Domenico di Fiesole: European University Institute (2021), pp. 31-42

Series: Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies Research Paper, RSCAS 2021/43

Institution of author: Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies; Université Sorbonne Nouvelle

"The 2020 law for “global security” and the National law enforcement plan (Schéma national du maintien de l’ordre), presented by the Minister of the Interior, meant to address, among other questions, the issue of the safety of journalists during demonstrations. Considering growing defiance and recent cases of violence against journalists during several Yellow-vest demonstrations, this is an important issue. Various organisations criticised the law for not addressing the question of police violence. The latest version of this regulation took into consideration some of Reporters without borders’ recommendations on the protection of journalists during demonstrations. Worrying declarations by the Minister of the Interior that journalists covering demonstrations had to be accredited by prefectorial authorities created an outcry. Such provisions do not appear in the law." (Abstract)