French Journalists Call for President Hollande to Take Action

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) have given their backing to the “Centenary Appeal” which was launched yesterday, Thursday 31 July, and is calling on the French President François Hollande, to improve his support for French journalists and their profession. Led by IFJ and EFJ’s French affiliates, the SNJ, SNJ-CGT and CFDT-Journalists, the appeal was launched at café du Croissant in Paris, the place where the renowned French journalist and politician, Jean Jaurès, was assassinated 100-years ago. The appeal is calling on the French president to keep his promises concerning the revision of public subsidies to the press, strengthening the pluralism of information and the fight against the precarious working conditions of journalists. The unions’ call denounces parliament’s blocking of a media bill that would ensure the protection of journalists' sources in France. The appeal, which was read out during the event, states: “One hundred years after the assassination of Jaurès, we, the signatories of this appeal, are issuing a reminder that the press freedom remains fragile. It is threatened by many employers who no longer guarantee free, pluralistic information and quality. Employers deconstruct and complicate the work of media employees, particularly in the newsrooms and their journalists." The IFJ and the EFJ share the concerns of their members and call French journalists to mobilise in support of their unions. Read the full flyer on the appeal HERE (in French only) And read the letter sent to the President of the French Republic, François Hollande HERE (in French only) You can also view a video (credit Jean-François Cullafroz) from Olivier Clément (CFDT) outlining the reasons for the appeal. For more information, please contact IFJ on +32 2 235 22 17 The IFJ represents more than 600 000 journalists in 134 countries