Will information independence survive the pandemic? – Sophie Huet

The covid-19 pandemic has insidiously attacked the world of journalism. Since the beginning of 2020 there has been a succession of canceled events, prohibited or limited accesses, virtual press conferences and teleworking that have entered the daily life of the editorial offices.

Health restrictions, while understandable, have upset the exercise of our profession. Is it possible that in some cases they have been excessive and used as a pretext to keep the media out? Doubt is legitimate.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, a concern emerged: will we be able to regain full access to the events we were talking about before the pandemic? Or will freedom and information pluralism fall victim to covid-19?

Information behind closed doors
In this year, the events closed to the media have multiplied: the organizers now provide the reporters with only a few press releases and some images, the so-called press kits. No questions, no direct contacts, but an extremely filtered form of communication that leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the lack of transparency.

In Germany “some political events are transformed into shows, with the dissemination of endless self-congratulatory films without questions from the public or the media”, emphasizes the director of the Berlin AFP editorial office Yacine Le Forestier. Another example: when some French ministers visited Algeria at the end of 2020, AFP had no access to the event. The pandemic was invoked as a justification, and it all ended with an official statement without images.

The sport, which is slowly recovering after months of blocking, has not been spared. “Our troupes no longer have access to almost all major sporting events: Olympic Games, European football championships, Champions League, Six Nations”, explains Guillaume Rollin, editor-in-chief of the video-sports section.

Identical products
Already widespread in the industry before covid-19, the practice of pool allows you to entrust the coverage of a news to a small number of journalists who take turns and share their production with the other editorial offices. It is a system in place for some time in the White House to track the president’s movements. The consequence is that all the newspapers spread an identical product, made by a single journalist and therefore devoid of the wealth of different points of view.

“With the pandemic, the use of pool it has become the norm, ”explains Stéphane Arnaud, editor-in-chief of the photography section. In video “it has become problematic to interview people who speak in public” and often only an authorized camera is available, underlines Mehdi Lebouachera, chief editor of the video section with regret. “At best, the content is uniform across all media. At worst, priority is given to some selected publications ”.

In the United States, health restrictions had the main consequence of restricting interviews with Joe Biden during the election campaign. “All events were covered by a pool, including the electoral campaign rallies which in any case were small in size, ”explains Hervé Rouach, editor-in-chief for North America.

In Brussels the law of pool dominates the European Council and the Commission. “We no longer have the opportunity to photograph Ursula von der Leyen outside of the rare appearances in the press room. At the same time, the official channels and social networks of the leaders abound with content relating to events to which we do not have access ”, such as the moment in which the president of the Commission underwent the vaccine, underlines the photographer Kenzo Tribouillard. In video “we often have no choice but to relaunch the institutional material, because it is impossible for us to get close”, adds his colleague Kilian Fichou.

Before the pandemic, on the occasion of the European summits, dozens of journalists could ask questions to the heads of state, who by now “deliver their speeches in front of a camera as soon as they arrive, in an unreal silence”. It is difficult to distinguish between compliance with health measures and the desire to limit access to the media. However, according to Fichou, “there is a feeling that many doors have closed and that it is unlikely that they will be reopened”.

“It is a pity that the pool are now systematic in contexts previously open to everyone, or almost “, even if” it is difficult to contest the health motivation “, underlines the editor-in-chief for France Annie Thomas. The practice of pool it has existed for some time at the Elysée, but recently it has become increasingly popular during ministerial visits, even when events take place outdoors. If in these cases it happens to be able to do microphone interviews, journalists find themselves massed in the crowd.

On the entertainment front, things are no better. No AFP photographer or videoreporter was admitted to the latest Oscars ceremony, covered by a pool and from images included in the press kit.

Will it be necessary to pay to inform?
The pool he has established himself for sports photography, from the English Premier League to the matches of the French national team, as well as for the Champions League final and the next European football championship.

In India, on the occasion of very popular cricket matches, the photographers were unable to cover some meetings which, however, were open to colleagues in charge of writing and to the public. According to some journalists, “covid-19 has provided the perfect excuse” for cricket authorities to control the production of images through press kits, deriving a clear “commercial benefit”, explains the coordinator of the Asia-Pacific sports section Talek Harris.

Multiplying sources is one of the essential tasks of journalists to provide as complete information as possible. To acquire new sources by updating information, formal meetings are necessary but also fortuitous and informal exchanges. This exercise becomes quite complicated in the age of physical distancing and videoconferencing.

Without this direct access to sources, “how can one provide the necessary counterpoint to well-intentioned communiques and flattened speeches?” Asks Aurélia End, editor-in-chief of the international economics section, accustomed to the G20s and the Davos forums. Videoconferencing, End points out, “literally acts as a screen for everything, except controlled communication. The microphone is only open during talking points, that is, at predetermined times. In addition, journalists’ questions are often presented in advance and it is rarely possible to investigate further ”.

Press videoconferences often end with “sorry, time is up,” says a journalist sent to the Gulf. “Digital communication is a blessing for those who want to ensure absolute control of events”.

Towards disinformation
Between the lack of room for maneuver for real journalism and unfiltered communication on social networks, a path opens up that leads to disinformation, an inexhaustible topic for reflection in the digital universe. As part of a large survey carried out by the International center for journalists (ICFJ) at the start of the pandemic, more than 80 per cent of people interviewed said they had been dealing with a form of disinformation at least once a week, while 46 percent called some politicians into question as the source of disinformation.

“The pandemic has created fertile ground for conspiracy theorists and no vaxes, who have sown confusion and amplified their message by playing on fears related to health and the constant changes in health policies,” explains Sophie Nicholson, deputy editor of the digital investigations section.

What happened to our newsrooms vibrant with debates and ideas, critical reflections and creativity? In the era of teleworking, which deprives us of these exchanges, we remember their richness and vitality with nostalgia. Because of lockdown reporters isolated themselves behind their screens, keeping in touch via chat and virtual meetings. Accustomed to the front line, many reporters have seen their psychological defenses give way.

Among the main difficulties encountered at the beginning of the pandemic, 70 per cent of journalists cited the psychological and emotional impact, more than unemployment or financial worries (67 per cent) or the burden of work (64 per cent).

What will the information look like after the covid?
The pandemic has “resulted in a huge closure of access” on the ground and to the sources, “partly legitimate (when it comes to health precautions) and partly illegitimate. In both cases, the question is the same: will this access be restored? “, Asks with concern the general secretary of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Christophe Deloire, underlining that covid-19 represented” an opportunity for the states which intended to limit the freedom of the press ”. According to RSF, the exercise of journalism is now “totally or partially blocked” in more than 130 countries. Add to this the direct threats, with 50 journalists killed in 2020 according to data from the organization for the defense of freedom of the press.

Limited access to information, freedom and pluralism threatened: the ingredients are all there to undermine the practice of journalism in the long term. “The Davos forum and the G20 summits will undoubtedly resume,” says Aurélia End. “But will the media still be invited, perhaps remotely, perhaps in a separate press center? Or will they remain relegated behind the screens, still a little further away from the reality of power games? ”.

After the tragedy of Covid-19 the battle will open to regain the lost ground regarding the freedom to inform, which will be fought with obstinacy and without naivety. The fact-checking opposes false viral information when the worm is already in the fruit, but field journalism remains the main bastion against disinformation.

This battle affects all journalists, of all newspapers. But it also concerns governments, authorities and all citizens who want to defend one of the pillars of democracy. It is hard to believe that we will all emerge unscathed from this global trauma. But we trust with optimism that journalists, like weeds, will try to occupy every gap of freedom.

(Translation by Andrea Sparacino)