You have to turn your tongue seven times in your mouth before speaking… especially when you do it on television! This is the message that Arcom sent by denouncing, Tuesday April 16, 2024, a controversial sequence that occurred a few days after the death of young Thomas, in Crépol (Drôme) in the show C to you (France 5).
Columnist Patrick Cohen had in fact commented, on November 27, 2023, on the events which led to the death of the young man. However, according to the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, his remarks were “devoid of oratorical precautions and stated in a declarative manner, did not meet the requirements of measurement, rigor and honesty”, reports Le Figaro.
A “tragic ball”
Let us recall that at the material time the theory of the village festival which degenerated accidentally and that of intentional homicide motivated by the skin color of the deceased were opposed.
The journalist’s explanation rather followed the version of those involved (a group of young people from another village) and concluded with the mention of a “tragic ball”.
Remonstrances and recommendations
Patrick Cohen was, in the days that followed, accused of “repeating without distance or nuance the version of the attackers, while the story of the evening had not yet been clarified by the investigators”, specifies Le Figaro.
Our “Patrick Cohen” file
Arcom therefore argued that Patrick Cohen’s comments “were part of an editorial espousing committed and assumed bias, thus benefiting from increased freedom of expression”; she also asked France 5 to henceforth demonstrate “increased vigilance of France Télévisions’ specifications”.