Conférence "La presse en période de guerre de 1914 à nos jours"
It is generally said that the press is one of the cornerstones of our democracy. But what is the reality during times of war? Can the press report everything, thereby making public information that could aid the nation’s enemy? Could a democracy ban or censor the press without losing its very essence? Finally, can a journalist accept becoming a soldier for their nation by lying to or distorting the truth for their fellow citizens?
Whilst these questions were of relatively limited relevance before the rise of the press in the nineteenth century, it is clear that, from the First World War onwards, all democracies were forced to find one or more solutions to emerge victorious from these existential dilemmas… Unfortunately, we also know that every war, every conflict – even those of limited scale – and every period of revolution has left a lasting stain on the credibility of democracies. Each time, everything had to be rebuilt from scratch: the banning of certain publications, mergers, the dismissal of journalists, new press regulations, and the placing of certain media organisations under supervision…
It is all the more important to understand the past, as the present plunges us once again into these profound questions… How can we inform the citizens of a nation at war fairly, without providing the enemy with information that would harm those very same citizens? In a war that has turned information into a defensive and offensive weapon, how can we maintain a professional, fair, credible and democratic press?
This conference, which will undoubtedly raise more questions than it answers, aims to encourage listeners to reflect on their roles as citizens and active participants in democratic life… A complex and daring programme at a time when AI (which could be described as a weapon of mass destruction of the truth) has become embedded in the mechanisms of disinformation and has emerged as a weapon in its own right in twenty-first-century warfare!
We shall, of course, take a rapid overview of the First World War, the Second World War, the Cold War, the wars of decolonisation and contemporary conflicts… We shall remain primarily focused on the French media, with a few brief forays beyond our beloved nation!
---- Biography ----
Michel BONNET is a lecturer specialising in the history of the media. For over 20 years, he has been delivering talks on the media, video games and social media in primary, lower secondary and upper secondary schools (introductions to interpreting images, news and advertising; internet literacy; media education; video games; board games; and the use of social media…).
He has been Chair of the Joint Advertising Council in France (www.cpp-pub.org) since its creation in 2008.
As an expert for Familles de France on issues relating to the media, games, information and communication technologies, and their links to education and adolescence, Michel BONNET has represented this association at the CSA, the CIEME (Inter-Association Collective on Children and Media) and the Ministry of Culture’s Private Copying Commission.
---- Practical details -----
Venue: Conference Hall – Châtillon-sur-Seine Town Hall (entrance: Rue du Président Carnot)
Price: members €7 / non-members €9
The talks begin at 2.30 pm sharp: doors open at 2.15 pm