French Media Ban Mentions of Twitter and Facebook

[Elomin Sha]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13665125

French TV and radio presenters have been banned from mentioning social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter on air.
The country's broadcasting watchdog has ruled that doing so would break guidelines on advertising.

First Tennessee now the FRENCH! What's going on here? Why all the Internet hate?


WAAAAAAAAI! I've got it.

The French are afraid of another revolution, similar to the Middle East uprisings, they're trying to cut the life line before it even starts.

[nicholasmc1]

I wish Australian press would do that, its anoying.

[Phenonemis]

I expect that this will end the same way the Ryan Giggs situation did. (If you don't know about it, look it up. Seriously, its complicated, but really interesting)

[Keab42]

I'd be for it in that it would stop the endless stream of "tell us what you think" on the news.

[Tapir12]

On the one hand, it's great because the news would have to actually report the news and not just whatever crap is on Facebook. I can't stand when the news reports have segments like "and so-and-so responded on Twitter saying..." and "this is what our viewers had to say on Facebook about this issue".

On the other hand, social media is becoming an integral part of society and how people communicate. To ignore it would be to lose a major new source of information (of questionable accuracy) and put the news stations at a handicap.

It's getting so much harder to avoid either...

[Tally]

Meh, the internet is simply not cultured or refined enough for the French. They probably don't want to pollute their airwaves with its filth. That's the sort of thing those wrong-talking Quebecois would do.

[Yaxley]

Imagine if that happened in the U.S. If they couldn't mention Twitter, it would cut an hour-long Sportscenter down to about 20 minutes. And we wouldn't have to hear about wiener pics for weeks on end. It's a stupid ban, but there might be some perks.

[xdeathknightx]

hmm I can imagine it would suffice to say messages or communication is done through social media without mentioning actual brand names

[thatlaurachick]

Meh, the internet is simply not cultured or refined enough for the French. They probably don't want to pollute their airwaves with its filth. That's the sort of thing those wrong-talking Quebecois would do.

+1 because vous etes tres hereuse.

I need to put my French keyboard back. Dammit.

[Elomin Sha]

Je ne suis pas une putain. Je n'avais pas le sexe pour l'angent a Ryan Giggs.

[SilPho]

Stopping them from using comments as filler is a good thing, but does this prevent them from reporting on actual news relevant to these sites?

[Phenonemis]

Je ne suis pas une putain. Je n'avais pas le sexe pour l'angent a Ryan Giggs.

C'est ce qu'ils disent tous. Jusqu'à ce qu'ils le vendre aux journaux.

[Phenonemis]

Je suis desole, post double

[Elomin Sha]

Merde.

[Trymantha]

I wish Australian press would do that, its anoying.

THIS SO MUCH.

this is how the news goes, okay this is happened(give the main story) lets see what twitter thinks about it.

[empath]

Stopping them from using comments as filler is a good thing, but does this prevent them from reporting on actual news relevant to these sites?

NO.

I saw this break a few days before this thread started: the point of the law is to not let media outlets give unfair 'endorsement' of one social network over the others by tagging that "What do you think? Let us know on <Radio station/tv station's specific account on a given network>" at the close of their news reports or whatever.

This has NO EFFECT on reporting news that happens regarding a specific social network - it's to stop gratuitous 'advertising' of the big ones at the expense of others. Rather socialist of France, really. I imagine they'd be permitted to appeal to viewers if they listed accounts on ALL the networking sites at the end of their program, but...

[Jadore France]

An Intelligent creative Grafitti Response to the Ban has surfaced on the web in the form of a video. Visit the link below to watch

It begins with a Djembe player introducing Serge Gainsbourg's Dub version of the French National Anthem and then a Spray Artist Turns the words I love france into the phrase I love Facebook by droppping the 'r' and the 'n'. Complicated yet simple and positive.

http://www.jadorefacebook.com

enjoy