Media, old and new, drive France’s presidential race
We explore what is driving the presidential campaign in France; plus, the threat of fake news in Italy.
On The Listening Post this week: Media, old and new, driving the presidential campaign in France. Also, the Five Star Movement and the threat of fake news in Italy.
French presidential hopeful Francois Fillon has come unstuck as a result of some old-fashioned investigative journalism. And far-right rival Marine Le Pen, with the online activists of the “Fachosphere” behind her, has moved from fringe media interest to the centre of attention.
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Contributors: Yvan Martinet, journalist, Envoye Special; Arnaud Mercier, media professor, Universite Paris II; Jules Darmanin, journalist, Buzzfeed France; Michael Szadkowski, editor-in-chief, Lemonde.fr.
On our radar:
– Egypt has extended the imprisonment of Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Hussein, who has yet to face trial, for a fourth time.
– A group of nine international human rights organisations are calling on the Kenyan government to allow the return of British journalist Jerome Starkey, who was deported two months ago.
– US President Donald Trump has accused the media of covering up “terror” attacks, just days after one of his advisers, Kellyanne Conway, appeared to make one up.
Italy’s fake news battle:
In a game of reciprocal accusations – who’s responsible for spreading fake news in Italy? The populist Five Star Movement, mainstream media or both?
Contributors: Davide Vecchi, reporter, Il Fatto Quotidiano; Enrico Mentana, news presenter, LA7; Anna Momigliano, editor-in-chief, Rivista Studio; Gianni Riotta, professor, Princeton University, La Stampa; Manlio Di Stefano, MP, Five Star Movement.
Published On 11 Feb 2017