Deputy Director and Editor of the Figaro newspaper Philippe Gelie emphasised that without independent bodies, and a parliament overseeing the executive power, and without impartial judiciary, a journalist writing about corruption was left isolated.
“Without all that support, journalists are powerless and will struggle to remain independent in their work. A good journalist must be honest, stick to the facts, and respect their audience,” said Gelie, adding that the power of the media should rest on credibility and that the media itself must not be corrupt.
“If you uncover the scandal of the century, but other media do not confirm it, it will come to nothing. Only through collective effort can we achieve results and expose scandals. If you are the only one writing about something, everyone will doubt it,” Gelie stated.
He recommended that journalists who had a problem or were afraid to publish a story should connect with colleagues from other countries and get them interested in the investigation, as it is sometimes better for someone else to publish the affair.
He also noted that in France, for example, out of 20,000 various officials who had been prosecuted, about 40% had been convicted.
Journalist and editor Wandrille Lanos stated that his show, Cash Investigation, investigated corruption and scandals in the business world, often connected to politics, and was broadcast on French national television in prime time.
He added that the audience demanded such content and that investigative journalism was recognised in France.
He also mentioned that there were pressures on journalists, but it was far from the point where there were threats or physical endangerment of journalists.
The discussion included all the affairs in France uncovered by journalists, mainly concerning money flows, media financing, the code of ethics, and the necessary solidarity among journalists in society.
The conversation between the Serbian and French colleagues was organised by UNS, the Ministry of European Integration, and the French Embassy.
Source: UNS/Beta
