InfoAnda - Online news site leads charge in French scandal |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

India slams Pakistan over Mumbai hoax call reports | 7 December 2008
Lawmaker cites new cyber threats to financial networks | | 5 October 2012
October Annually Most Dangerous Month for Teen Drivers | 16 October 2010

Twitter brings world closer for Japan quake charity e-book | | 10 May 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Online news site leads charge in French scandal |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared California transit cop verdict sparks looting 4:52am EDT Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 Democratic senator's lead shrinks in California: poll 08 Jul 2010 North American concert sales plunge in first half 08 Jul 2010 Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs 06 Jul 2010 UPDATE 1-US 30-yr mortgage rate drops to new record low 08 Jul 2010 Netanyahu bodyguards' guns go missing on U.S. visit | Video 07 Jul 2010 Cat burglar takes shine to washing-line underwear 08 Jul 2010 Russia, U.S. swap 14 spies in Cold War-style exchange | Video 11:48am EDT German fans want revenge grilling of oracle octopus 08 Jul 2010 Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 California transit cop verdict sparks looting 4:52am EDT Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs 06 Jul 2010 German fans want revenge grilling of oracle octopus 08 Jul 2010 Cat burglar takes shine to washing-line underwear 08 Jul 2010 UPDATE 1-US 30-yr mortgage rate drops to new record low 08 Jul 2010 Popular food additive can cause stomach ache 08 Jul 2010 Democratic senator's lead shrinks in California: poll 08 Jul 2010 North American concert sales plunge in first half 08 Jul 2010 Aircraft completes first solar-powered night flight | Video 08 Jul 2010 Online news site leads charge in French scandal Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Analysis: Scandal shows risks of Sarkozy's micro-management 7:13am EDT Bookkeeper softens some French scandal charges Thu, Jul 8 2010 UPDATE 1-Bookkeeper softens some French scandal charges Thu, Jul 8 2010 Bookkeeper said to clear France's Sarkozy -aide Thu, Jul 8 2010 French PM rules out early reshuffle over scandal Wed, Jul 7 2010 Related Topics World » Technology » ipad » Media » France » Aerospace & Defense » By Leila Abboud PARIS | Fri Jul 9, 2010 10:48am EDT PARIS (Reuters) - An upstart online news service has led the way in investigating France's latest political funding scandal, defying President Nicolas Sarkozy's efforts to stamp his influence on the media. The Mediapart website has published a stream of embarrassing reports of alleged cash donations by France's richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, to conservative politicians, and meddling in judicial affairs, drawing presidential wrath. Mediapart's reports have set the agenda on the scandal, forcing the rest of the media to follow, and turning the affair into a major headache for the government. Mediapart is one of a new breed of muckraking, mostly left-leaning online news outlets that is shaking up the French press, which is reeling after years of sinking circulation and deteriorating ad sales. Sarkozy's close friendships with traditional media owners and control of state-funded TV and radio outlets have often allowed him to shape news coverage and isolate journalists or editors who displeased him. Websites like Mediapart, Rue89, and Bakchich.info are less prone to such influence and are attracting readers by putting out scoops with a harder-hitting tone. Unlike many newspapers, they are not dependent on government subsidies or industrial owners with deep pockets to survive. Yet most remain unprofitable so far, showing how hard it is to find a viable online media business model. Founded in 2008 by four former investigative journalists on Le Monde, Mediapart says it has 30,000 subscribers who pay 9 euros a month to read its reports on social, political and environmental issues. "CYBER-CABAL" Its president, Edwy Plenel, who made his name by exposing scandals under Socialist president Francois Mitterrand and rose to be editorial director of Le Monde, tells the staff of 25 reporters to focus on scoops instead of routine coverage. "From the beginning, he told us to take the time to investigate, come up with original material, and step out of the logic of the daily news cycle where everyone writes the same thing," said Pierre Puchot, a journalist at Mediapart, who covers the Middle East and Africa. The government's response has been to blame the Bettencourt scandal on shoddy or partisan Internet journalism. Sarkozy supporters have fiercely attacked Mediapart as a "cyber-cabal" that undermines democracy, doesn't check its facts and only aggregates "tweets and blogs." "This famous website!" exclaimed Industry Minister Christian Estrosi in a radio interview. "It reminds me of a certain press of the 1930s," a reference to extreme-right newspapers which denounced France's political class as rotten to the core. Xavier Bertrand, leader of the ruling UMP party, called Mediapart "a site that uses fascist methods." In response, Mediapart has sued Bertrand for defamation and vowed to continue working on the story. "Until now we've been ignored or disdained, but now we have been elevated to the rank of principal adversary to be attacked and demonized," Plenel wrote in an editorial. "Our best response is to doggedly pursue our investigation." For journalism professor Patrick Eveno of Paris' Sorbonne University, Mediapart's leadership on the latest scandal is a sign of a deep malaise among French newspapers. "The traditional press is so asphyxiated by financial problems that it is not doing its job as a check on power," he said. "Sites like Mediapart can take more risks because they are independent and don't have to worry about their owners." Even as they lose readers and advertisers, French papers are saddled with higher salaries, print and distribution costs than in other European countries. Paid national newspaper circulation fell 4.9 percent in 2009 from a year ago, according to the circulation audit bureau. Some are on the brink. Le Monde recently moved to sell a controlling stake to a trio of investors to avoid bankruptcy. The owner of mass-market daily Le Parisien is seeking a buyer. Many dailies have sought refuge in larger industrial groups, often owned by business tycoons with close ties to politicians. Le Figaro is part of the business empire of Serge Dassault, an aerospace and armaments tycoon and friend of Sarkozy, while Les Echos is owned by Bernard Arnault, chief executive of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton luxury conglomerate. Eveno sees the rise of online news outlets as a positive development but wonders whether they will have the staying power to fill the void left by a sinking traditional press. "It's not clear that these sites have figured out a business model that will hold over the long term," said Eveno. Mediapart hopes to break even by the end of 2012 if it can reach 50,000 subscribers. Muckraking is fuelling its readership: some 1,400 new users signed up for Mediapart on Tuesday alone and subscriptions have jumped 20 percent this month. (editing by Paul Taylor and Charles Dick) World Technology ipad Media France Aerospace & Defense Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 9 July 2010
Iran leader says sanctions will not slow atom work
Obama urges Israel to seize chance for peace
Campaign launched against Comcast-NBC Universal deal
US to deliver billions in equipment to tackle Afghan bombs
US-TECH Summary
News
IMF presses US to cut debt
Cable companies, networks mull smaller TV bundles
Graft fears as massive cash sums fly out of Kabul: WSJ
Iran leader says sanctions will not slow atom work |
Pakistan busts gang of website hackers: official
Israel images 'show Hezbollah hiding arms'
Chechnya's leader hails paintball attacks on women |
News
Mauritania adopts new anti-terrorism law |
France, Netherlands seek to halt Internet censorship
Obama sees Turkey turning eastward if snubbed by EU
U.S., UK urge Iran halt stoning execution |
In Iraq, "young American male" yearns for action
Cuban dissident said to have ended hunger strike |
News
Drug war hits Mexico's richest city |
US to spend $3B to combat Afghan homemade bombs
Ishikawa thrilled with opening 67
2 NATO troops and Afghan police official killed
Indonesian anti-graft activist attacked
Hong Kong police smash large cross-border gambling ring
News
Catholic priest, nun murdered in China
Europe to give US access to bank data for terror probes
News
Cable companies, networks mull smaller TV bundles |
A Minute With: Jane Lynch on her Glee-filled year |
HBO dominates Emmy nods for 10th straight year |
Katy Perry, Eminem lead U.S. singles chart again |
Bomb kills NATO soldier in Afghanistan
Eurostar resumes London-Paris train service
U.S. and Russia to swap spies after 10 plead guilty |
Fujitsu: acquisition targets include software firms
News
Iran will not stone woman to death after outcry
US swaps 10 Russian spies for 4 'agents' held by Moscow
Australia halts web filter plan ahead of polls
Ahmadinejad says sanctions will not alter nuclear drive
Eurostar Paris-London service closes over safety fears
Ten Russian spies leave US after swap deal: report
Mattis named overall US commander of Iraq, Afghan wars
Venezuela nabs 2 for trying to 'Twitter' a run on banks
US, Russia swap 10 Kremlin agents for 4 Western spies
Cuba dissident ends hunger strike
U.S. eavesdropping agency says Private Citizen is purely R&D
Cuba takes first steps toward prisoner release |
News
Turkey still sees chance of Iran nuclear fuel swap deal
Suicide bomb kills 20 in NW Pakistan |
Venezuela arrests two for banking rumor Tweets
Japan PM party may miss vote target |
PayPal, Tesla founder goes public on divorce
China finds fresh trade in toxic milk powder: report |
Russia to free four Western spies for its agents
Fear belies Pakistan boasts of becalmed borderlands |
Slovak president appoints liberal Radicova as PM
U.N. council draft condemns attack on South Korean ship |
Cuba dissident Farinas ends hunger strike: opposition
Russia's Medvedev pardons four jailed spies
U.S. and Russia to swap spies after 10 plead guilty
Presbyterians split on gay-friendly measures
Pakistan bomb attack kills 12, wounds 90
Bangladesh bans religious punishments
Australia backs away from Timor refugee plan
Suicide bomb kills 20 in NorthWest Pakistan
Google confident of getting China web license |
Singer Coco set to step out of father's shadow
Watchdog slams Thai army, protesters over casualties
U.S. eavesdropping agency says Private Citizen is purely R&D |
Whose Emmy strategies worked, and whose didn't?
S.Africans favour 'orange' World Cup final
Anti-UN minister presses on with hunger strike
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Venezuela arrests two for banking rumor Tweets |
U.N. response on South Korea ship raises calls for North talks
Drake NY concert cancelled after security concerns
China seizes melamine-tainted milk powder
Fujitsu: acquisition targets include software firms |
South Africa's Bushmen try to adapt to modern life
Google confident China will renew licence
Rookie series rock the Emmys
Seoul shares rise as investors welcome rate hike
Japan PM party may miss vote target, policy at risk
"Inception" is no dream for marketers
South Korea unexpectedly raises key interest rate
Taiwan forecasts GDP, jobs rise from China pact
Winners and losers emerge at summer box office midpoint
Pakistan c.bank sells 10 bln rupees of T-bills in repo
News
Bank of Korea lifts rates; more hikes expected
PAKISTAN
News
US avoids labeling China currency manipulator
Seoul shares open up on U.S. gains, techs
World Bank approves $6.2 bln Pakistan lending plan
Police probe claims Gibson abused ex-girlfriend |
Fresh faces add zest to Emmy nominations |
Drake NY concert cancelled after security concerns |
Whose Emmy strategies worked, and whose didn't? |
Inception is no dream for marketers |
Winners and losers emerge at summer box office midpoint |
Scorsese sued by receiver for celebrity money man |
Italian media on strike over bill to curb wiretapping
Iran 'yet to confirm' woman's stoning stay: lawyer
Google says China has renewed its operating licence
Russia, U.S. swap 14 spies in Cold War-style exchange |
Gameworld: Motion games broaden uses beyond exercise
'Miscommunication' behind Afghan friendly fire deaths
Greece to auction 1.25bln euros of debt: officials
Amid gunfire, U.S. troops try to bring governance to Kandahar |
British soldier killed in Afghanistan
Google's Schmidt undaunted by Apple or Facebook
Suicide bomber kills five in Baghdad: ministry
U.N. council draft condemns attack on South Korean ship |
Google to resume gathering map data in 4 countries
West uses e-networking to subvert China: Study
India and Pakistan in first substantive talks since Mumbai |
Fujitsu plans to beef up cloud computing business
Aid ship to sail from Greece for blockaded Gaza |
Italian journalists strike over Berlusconi law |
Taliban commander captured as US raids intensify
Bettencourt affair heats up with raids, reports |
Sri Lanka war crimes rift with U.N. widens over protests |
K.Rouge prison chief sacks his international lawyer
Russia and U.S. swap 14 spies in Cold War-style exchange
N.Zealand anti-whaling activist deported from Japan
DOJ reviews Mass. rulings on fed gay marriage ban
Ex-officer convicted in Calif. train killing
Suicide attack kills 65 in Pakistan tribal belt
Gameworld: Motion games broaden uses beyond exercise |
Presbyterians split on gay-friendly measures
Google says China has renewed its operating licence
Online news site leads charge in French scandal |
Emmy snubs! Master grouse list
Thai PM plans first Myanmar visit next month
Google's Schmidt undaunted by Apple or Facebook |
Helicopters revolutionise mountain rescue in Nepal
Chinese monk held for murder of priest and nun
Al-Qaeda: poor Yemeni town cursed by its name
Google to resume gathering map data in 4 countries |
North Korea says jailed American attempted suicide
Fujitsu plans to beef up cloud computing business |
Pakistani rupee eases to new low; stocks post gains
Asia markets edge higher on US, Europe lead
India expects bumper harvest to ease prices: minister
Peugeot Citroen announces China joint venture
WRAPUP 1-S.Korea surprises with rate rise, more to come
China auto sales up nearly 50% in first half: report
Japan's DoCoMo plans new app platform for phones
Emmy snubs! Master grouse list |
Keeping up with self-made star Kim Kardashian |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01