France entered an election campaign where passions and tensions are exacerbated. We, journalists and developers companies, deplore the way many of our colleagues have been treated recently by activists or teams of candidates: threats, aggression, campaign event exclusions …
In a context where threats to journalists are becoming more frequent, we call all candidates declared to the presidential election to publicly commit to respect that all journalists can cover the campaign under conditions satisfactory. We solemnly ask them to:
- guarantee, without discrimination, the free access to the various meetings and public events, according to the usual conditions of accreditation;
- refrain from taking the press for target in terms that can create a hostile climate detrimental to freedom of information;
- Ensure that the physical integrity of journalists is fully preserved at the events they have the responsibility.
We urge candidates to take the full extent of the increasingly critical conditions in which journalists work. The democratic health of our country would have all to lose repetition of the free exercise of their profession.