WikiLeaks and the U.S. Embassy in Paris: French "journalists do not necessarily consider that their foremost duty is to monitor those in power"

According to the Paris embassy cables obtained by WikiLeaks (and here retranslated from French), writes Xavier Ternisien in Le Monde, American diplomats explain the situation of the press in France

by the fact that "the most famous French journalists often come from the same elite schools as many government officials. These journalists do not necessarily consider that their foremost duty is to monitor those in power. A number of them see themselves as intellectuals, preferring to analyze events and influence readers rather than report on the facts."

The embassy adds that "the private media in France — in print and broadcast media — continues to be dominated by a small number of conglomerates, and the French media are regulated more and subject to more political and commercial pressures than their American counterparts." It puts the emphasis on the rise of the Internet media, especially on blogs, which are a popular means of expression among minorities and NGOs.