The interview of Sergey Lavrov on France 2 sparks controversy. Deemed complacent by several experts, it reopens the debate on the management of Russian propaganda in public broadcasting.
The interview of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, by journalist Lea Salame, Thursday, March 26 in the 8:00 pm of France 2, has been the target of severe criticism from geopolitical specialists, who found it complacent.
Recorded in advance, this interview was conducted remotely with Mr. Lavrov in Moscow. Ten minutes were broadcast on the public channel’s 8:00 pm show, a segment watched by 3.4 million viewers according to Médiamétrie, and an hour-long version was posted on the franceinfo.fr website.
“A disastrous sequence on public service,” lamented Dimitri Minic, a Russia specialist at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), condemning it as “a pointless, poorly prepared, and ultimately dangerous interview.”
“If the France TV teams still underestimate the informational struggle, they need to understand that Moscow has made it the central weapon in its war against the West,” he added.
“An embarrassing interview during which a minister from an adversary power can smoothly deliver his talking points for an hour on the main French public channel with almost no challenge,” criticized French researcher Etienne Marcuz from the Foundation for Strategic Research, on social media.
“This is not a demanding interview, it’s a platform offered to Russian propaganda to unfold its narrative,” judged another researcher, Antoine Bondaz.
Analyst Louis Duclos criticized Lea Salame for not questioning Mr. Lavrov about “Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine.”
“Why not talk about Bucha? Mariupol? Izyum? Drone safaris in Kherson? Torture of civilians, rape of children and adolescents in front of their parents before killing them?” he exclaimed.
Many other reactions echoed these sentiments.
When contacted by AFP, the management of France Televisions did not immediately respond.
In January, journalist Philippe Corbé replaced Alexandre Kara as the head of news at France Televisions, following several blunders in the public group’s news sector. These included a mix-up in the circumstances of the deaths of teachers Dominique Bernard and Samuel Paty in the 1:00 pm and 8:00 pm news broadcasts on France 2, presented by Julian Bugier and Lea Salame.
