General mobilization for confined French people

Audio 02:26

By: Amaury de Rochegonde Follow

The mobilization of the media and social networks since the beginning of containment has shown the capacity of the latter to be able to adapt in times of crisis.

Publicity

There has of course been a lot of delay in the mainstream media in taking stock of the pandemic. But one thing cannot be taken from them, it is to have known how to adapt to confinement. Public service, in particular, has played an essential role in enabling distance education. France Télévisions created the Maison Lumni, a site and broadcasts on France 4 or France 2 which have enabled many schoolchildren, middle school or high school students to take courses. A device that has even bridged the digital divide a little for students with difficult access to the internet. To the point that many voices are asking the government today to reverse its decision to abolish France 4. But we can also cite the Nation Learning label, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, in which we find Radio France but also RFI or France 24 broadcasts.

On the private channels, if the information was very present - as on the public service - it is also special programs which were initiated, in particular with Cyril Lignac on M6 to help the French confined to prepare good small dishes. But television, for lack of filming, these are also programs that must be saved. We broadcast less “The Voice” or “Koh-Lanta” on TF1, fewer episodes of series on M6. Conversely, we are going to draw on the catalog of heritage films, seen countless times, like La Soup aux Choux or Rabbi Jacob on France 2. Or the 7th company on TF1, which has been watched by more than 6 million viewers, as if the French were looking in their popular memory for sources of appeasement.

As for radio, it has also adapted enormously by leaving vast spaces of interactivity to its listeners to answer their questions. Regional daily newspapers have instead relied on mutual aid platforms for individuals and businesses.

In the absence of advertising revenue, most of these media are now preparing savings plans. This is the case for TF1 and M6. Internet giants, on the other hand, are emerging rather strengthened from this crisis. They disseminated messages of prevention against the virus and implemented measures against disinformation, going as far as censoring Bolsonaro or Maduro but, well, not Trump who has nothing to envy them for questionable suggestions. Thus Facebook or Google hope to demonstrate that they know how to regulate themselves and that it is therefore useless to dismantle them. However, they will have to contribute tomorrow to the content that brings them to life.

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• France
• Confinement
• Media