INTERVIEW
It is a press release dated April 9. The title: "A president who prefers communication to information." These are the words of the Association of the presidential press, which brings together French and international journalists who follow the movements of the President of the Republic. In this period of coronavirus, she denounces the restrictions of the Elysée communication service. "For us, the President being a public figure, none of his public trips can be made without the presence of journalists to be able to report the facts," said Alison Tassin, vice-president of the association, on Europe 1.
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The difference between information and communication
"The press release follows a trip by the President of the Republic on April 9, to the Kremlin-Bicêtre teaching hospital, to which the press was not invited," said the vice-president. "It is a custom, for a very long time journalists have attended the movements of the President of the Republic. This is sometimes done in a restricted format, that can be understood particularly in this crisis where the President visits hospitals. There is a distance to maintain, we cannot be 20, 30 journalists around the President of the Republic in times of coronavirus. But we have 'pool' systems that exist where we can have a journalist representing each type of media that reports to the others. "
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Around this visit, a controversy around a video broadcast by the Elysée, on his Twitter account. On the images, we can see the nursing staff cheering in chorus with Emmanuel Macron. However, it was only part of the scene that was shown. There is a lack of exchanges between the President of the Republic and the hospital staff.
"This is where we see the difference between communication and journalism. This extract was broadcast by the Elysée to show what it wanted to show, that is to say a beautiful moment of communion between the President and caregivers, "said Alison Tassin. "But what the Parisian paper very well reported was that these applause followed discussions with the president on working conditions at the hospital, the strike months and more generally on the discomfort that can reign in the hospital. The Elysée Palace did not mention it, and if a journalist had been present he could have reported these exchanges. "
A journalist more essential than communication
During the same day, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron visited Professor Didier Raoult, in Marseille, defender of the controversial treatment of chloroquine against the coronavirus. A trip without journalists, who see a space problem. "That day, in Marseille, the photographer of the President of the Republic was present," points out the vice-president. "There have been images once again provided by the Elysee Palace, where a journalist is more essential, especially in these times of crisis, than the President's communication."
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Reinforced control over the image of the President, a few days after the controversy over a trip to Pantin, where a compact crowd surrounded Emmanuel Macron. "It is not necessarily a desire to hide something, it is sometimes improvisation", tempers Alison Tassin.
"I think of the mask factory that the President of the Republic was able to visit, an exchange with the employees had to be filmed. And then suddenly, the President's services decided that the camera which retransmitted these exchanges should go position for the speech of the President of the Republic then. So we cut the camera. However, these discussions were very interesting on the bottom. " Events that sometimes happened before the coronavirus crisis.
Bring the contradiction
Founded in 1928, the Association of the presidential press brings together 200 members, French and foreign journalists, and its mission is to guarantee equal access to all events and travel organized by the Elysée. His word carries weight, and the services of the Elysee have responded to their concerns. "We were able to talk with the press and communication service and I believe that the message has been heard. This week we have examples that prove that things are improving. On Monday, for example, the President published his agenda for the week is something we haven't had for several weeks, "said Alison Tassin.
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Cautious, the association continues to remain vigilant regarding the processing of information from the Elysée Palace in this period of health crisis. A job made difficult, since everything is now done by phone. "We are trying to put politicians face to face with their contradictions. It is a flowing communication," she says.