France Bans Citizen Journalists from Reporting Violence

France Bans Citizen Journalists from Reporting Violence

newsbusters.org

In a warning to the sanctity of free speech in a democratic nation, France is about to show us what happens when the state is allowed to legally determine who is allowed to be a "journalist", or who is a "legitimate" source of news: You get the criminalization of speech.

France bans citizen journalists from reporting violence

The French Constitutional Council has approved a law that criminalizes the filming or broadcasting of acts of violence by people other than professional journalist

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.macworld.com
More Back Door Legislation in the US

[edit on 3/8/2007 by shots]

Once again a government silences their citizens. Sad news indeed. Now those bloggers in France cannot report the real truth and free speech takes another blow. :shk:



newsbusters.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 3/8/2007 by shots]

This doesn't bode well for free speech. Just think what would have become of the Rodney King case had a citizen not reported on violence. Granted it is a rather extreme example, but this seems to give the French state free reign to do beat down whomever they wish, as long as they get it done before the press shows up. My question is this: Are French citizens able to submit their reports to the "official" French media outlets?

This is not only an attack on any semblance of freedom of expression that the French might have had, it is also an assault on the freedom of the Internet.

I would like to hear what our European members think of this.

I agree that this is an assault on free speech, but I have to say that the premise behind this actually has a semblance of rational thinking.
There apparently is an alarming rise in people, usually kids, who instigate trouble with others, then tape the fights, and/or beatings that then happen. They then distribute these videos on the internet. It's supposed purpose is to protect innocent, unknowing people from becoming victims of these people.

And this law, if passed, will do absolutely nothing to prevent these kids from taping acts of violence that they have instigated. All it will do is to hinder honest citizens from helping.

Originally posted by jsobecky
And this law, if passed, will do absolutely nothing to prevent these kids from taping acts of violence that they have instigated. All it will do is to hinder honest citizens from helping.

Sad, but very true I'm afraid. Well said jsobecky.

SHOTS .. this is an excellent find! Absolutely stunning! A symptom of things to come for the rest of us? Betchya! Very, very frightening!

The title is misleading, i have read the report on Skynews and its to do with "happy slapping"

its about randomly attacking someone on the street, recording it and posting it on the net.

news.sky.com...

its something you don't have in America i think, thats the confusion here. its nothing to do with freedom of speech, i know people who have been victims of "happy slapping" and try telling them this is to do with "freedom of speech"

Great Find!

I remember I post few months Ago, how France was banning Internet bloggers, because of the Violent Riots in Paris, when Internet became a vital exchange of information. So naturally the French are scared right now - and looks like they can not report Violence any more too. But what are they going to report then? Because the last time I turned on the News, all I saw was reports of Violence? Anyway, funny it is, that Reporters Without Borders, or Reporters Sans Frontières, has Head Quarters in Paris - France.

Fascism in France too?

This really is serious. Read this passage from the main link:

The government has also proposed a certification system for Web sites, blog hosters, mobile-phone operators and Internet service providers, identifying them as government-approved sources of information if they adhere to certain rules. The journalists’ organization Reporters Without Borders, which campaigns for a free press, has warned that such a system could lead to excessive self censorship as organizations worried about losing their certification suppress certain stories.

France, you better wake up real quick!

Originally posted by infinite

its about randomly attacking someone on the street, recording it and posting it on the net.

That may very well be. It does however infringe on freedom of speech when the government tells citizens what they can or cannot post on the Internet.

This is something that Americans should pay attention to. Government lawyers here in the U.S. will be looking at the fine print as the follow this one. You'd be wrong if you thought this couldn't happen here.

If you look at this in the context of recent U.S. legislation, it's not hard to see how it plays out. I'm a public figure. I know this'll catch up to me, eventually. There's nothing to stop the Fed from deciding that sites like ATS are subsersive. They may not use those exact words, but they won't have to as long as the language (whatever it is) gets them what they want.

The recent Federal grand jury trial of Lewis Libby should give you a small taste of where all this is headed. Remember also that Uncle Sam had no qualms at all about sending Judith Miller to jail for no good reason. Current Federal law, as embodied in everything from the Patriot Act to the Military Commission Act now means that you can be surveilled or arrested because "they said so."

All we've got to do is look at what's happening in Europe to see what's in our future.

Government approved sources? Sounds like censored media to me. Also puts a nice clean shot through free speech. Does this mean they can also not report if they see the government do something?

This is awful. Europe seems to get more and more controlled everyday. I would really hate to live there.

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
This is awful. Europe seems to get more and more controlled everyday. I would really hate to live there.

But thats only France remember

I'm a little confused about something

PARIS, France (AP) -- A new law in France makes it a crime -- punishable by up to five years in prison -- for anyone who is not a professional journalist to film real-world violence and distribute the images on the Internet.

Does that mean you cannot post anything regarding the 9/11 attacks? (the planes hitting the towers etc) and other world events?

A little bit of liberty lost here, a little bit there, and so on

"We are grateful to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Time
Magazine & other great publications whose directors have attended
our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost
forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our
plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity
during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and
prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational
sovereignty of an intellectual elite & world bankers is surely preferable
to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."
- David Rockefeller (Baden-Baden, Germany 1991)

This is what professional journalist do they lie to keep their jobs, violence or not violence. Let's stop buying papers and paying for tv. We have internet and I hope it lasts and remains free

Here's what this means to me.

State-sanctioned journalists such as those you will find in North Korea, only work with approved sources. If...for example, the 9/11 attack videos were ruled to be inflamatory, they wouldn't be able to use them.

I'm sure this "Happy Slapping" being presented as the reason is a ruse. I'd guess it has more to do with the violence surrounding their huge, disgruntled Muslim population. France seems to be in a state of denial about the dramatic changes it is causing in French Culture. When France reaches the tipping point where the new culture has a majority vote their historical culture will become a memory in their history books.

I have no opinion about whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Times change, cultures change and in a free society the majority rules. I expect we here in the U.S. are in for some more dramatic cultural changes as well. Only history will tell if it is a bad thing or not. My business partner is Jewish and his child is currently living in Southern France and he is plenty worried. Anti-Semites are rampant and uncontrolled from what he is telling me. They have reason to worry based on past history in France.

In this case the ramifications are pretty scary though. Freedom of Speech is clearly being challenged.

Regarding the Link to this story ...

SYNOPSIS

Makes certain operators of interactive computer services and Internet service providers liable to persons injured by false or defamatory messages posted on public forum websites.

...I don't see the connection? It most certainly should be illegal to post lies about people on the Internet and those doing it should be punished. It won't do any good unless it becomes the International standard though. Freedom of Speech has nothing to do with stopping slander and defamation. Lies from politicians, their supporters and the media are tearing this world apart as it is.