{"id":62207,"date":"2026-08-14T11:14:44","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T10:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ihedn.fr\/?p=62207"},"modified":"2026-08-14T14:33:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T13:33:57","slug":"episode-3-la-societe-francaise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ihedn.fr\/en\/lundis-de-lihedn\/episode-3-la-societe-francaise\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 3: French society"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fran\u00e7oise Giroud, \u00abThe Role of the Print Media\u00bb, 15 February 1969<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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French National Archives, reference number 20100024\/59<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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L\u00e9a France Gourdji, known as Fran\u00e7oise Giroud (1916\u20132003), was a leading figure in journalism, literature and French politics in the 20th centurye<\/sup> century. After starting out in the film industry, she co-founded the weekly magazine L\u2019Express<\/em> in 1953 with Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, making its mark on the media landscape with its incisive tone and modernisation of editorial standards.<\/p>

Her influence also extended to the sphere of government, where, in 1974, she became the first Secretary of State for Women\u2019s Affairs under President Val\u00e9ry Giscard d\u2019Estaing. A prolific writer, she published numerous works, including acclaimed biographies, leaving behind a legacy as a free-thinking, exacting and fiercely independent intellectual.<\/p>

On 15 February 1969, the IHEDN invited her to speak on the role of the print media. In this speech \u2013 an archived copy of which bears her handwritten corrections \u2013 she argues that, far from disappearing in the face of the rise of radio and television, the print media retains an essential function of \u00abconfirmation\u00bb and clarification, for \u00abwhat does not appear in print always remains rather vague, vague and uncertain\u00bb. Giroud thus emphasises that whilst radio \u00abalerts\u00bb the public, newspapers enable readers to ensure that they have properly understood the news.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The journalist identifies three main services provided by the print media: practical services, the organisation of knowledge \u2014 particularly through the technical and specialist press \u2014 and social integration. She explains that reading a newspaper is an act of commitment: \u00abbuying a particular newspaper is an act of social integration into a particular group\u00bb. Furthermore, she defines the newspaper as an \u00abinstrument of individual freedom\u00bb and a powerful \u00abbarometer\u00bb of existing opinions.<\/p>

In the face of economic challenges, Fran\u00e7oise Giroud emphasises the need to view the press as a genuine industry, capable of combining the writing of \u00abgenuine journalists\u00bb with the demands of \u00abindustrial management\u00bb. She highlights the structural fragility of this sector, which is highly vulnerable to strikes and heavily dependent on advertising, a situation that demands rigorous management to guarantee its independence and long-term viability as a \u00abpublic service\u00bb. Her reference to Sylvain Floirat, a press magnate of the time, resonates with contemporary debates on major media owners.<\/p>

In conclusion, she calls for greater professionalism amongst journalists, who should be trained in the \u00abdiscipline of information\u00bb and possess a sound understanding of economics. She rejects the notion that the press is inherently under threat, asserting that its future depends on its ability to meet the demands of a modern country. Finally, citing the example of the Prague Spring of 1968, she points out that press freedom lies at the heart of democratic aspirations, as it remains the essential prerequisite for the abolition of censorship:<\/p>

\u00abIn totalitarian countries, it has been well understood that you cannot stop people from thinking, but you can prevent citizens from knowing \u2013 and, in particular, you can prevent them from knowing that others think or react in the same way as they do.\u00bb\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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