Alain Hertoghe
Encyclopedia
Alain Hertoghe is a Belgian
journalist
, formerly an employee of the French
Catholic
newspaper
La Croix
. He was fired in December 2003 after writing a book critical of the coverage of the U.S.
invasion of Iraq
by French newspapers Le Monde
, Le Figaro
, Libération
, Ouest-France
and La Croix
.
Entitled La Guerre à Outrances (in English: The All Out War: How the press misinformed us on Iraq), Hertoghe claims that the big five French newspapers were ideological, biased and anti-American
in their coverage of the war. He selectively presents articles contradicting themselves, or characteristic of the following lines of thoughts:
His position was that anti-Americanism, rather than an explicit understanding between the papers, was the cause for the monolithic position of the press, and that the public was not offered a debate on the issues. He states that Le Monde went the farthest in its defense of the Iraqi regime, calling the newspaper "Saddam's Gazette." It has also been noted that Hertoghe's work is itself partial, selective, and fails to comment on the coverage of the war in foreign countries.http://maljournalisme.chez.tiscali.fr/rebond_hertoghe.htm
La Croix justified its firing of Alain Hertoghe by claiming that the book was damaging to its reputation and to the authority of its editors, in opposition to its editorial line, and made claims questioning the professional ethics of some of the staff.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, formerly an employee of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
La Croix
La Croix
La Croix is a daily French general-interest Roman Catholic newspaper. It is published in Paris and distributed throughout the country, with a circulation of just under 110,000 as of 2009...
. He was fired in December 2003 after writing a book critical of the coverage of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
by French newspapers Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
, Libération
Libération
Libération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
, Ouest-France
Ouest-France
Ouest-France is a provincial daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on local news and events. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régions of Brittany, Lower Normandy and Pays de la Loire...
and La Croix
La Croix
La Croix is a daily French general-interest Roman Catholic newspaper. It is published in Paris and distributed throughout the country, with a circulation of just under 110,000 as of 2009...
.
Entitled La Guerre à Outrances (in English: The All Out War: How the press misinformed us on Iraq), Hertoghe claims that the big five French newspapers were ideological, biased and anti-American
Anti-Americanism
The term Anti-Americanism, or Anti-American Sentiment, refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, culture or government of the United States...
in their coverage of the war. He selectively presents articles contradicting themselves, or characteristic of the following lines of thoughts:
- striking attack, immediately followed by predictions of quagmire as soon as US troop regrouped and received reinforcements ("a new Viet-Nam", "the hawks in Washington were mistaken")
- prediction of a humanitarian disaster
- welcoming of difficulties faced by US troops (Schadenfreude)
- predictions of a bloody urban battle in BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
(the "new Stalingrad", the "new Budapest").
His position was that anti-Americanism, rather than an explicit understanding between the papers, was the cause for the monolithic position of the press, and that the public was not offered a debate on the issues. He states that Le Monde went the farthest in its defense of the Iraqi regime, calling the newspaper "Saddam's Gazette." It has also been noted that Hertoghe's work is itself partial, selective, and fails to comment on the coverage of the war in foreign countries.http://maljournalisme.chez.tiscali.fr/rebond_hertoghe.htm
La Croix justified its firing of Alain Hertoghe by claiming that the book was damaging to its reputation and to the authority of its editors, in opposition to its editorial line, and made claims questioning the professional ethics of some of the staff.
Quotations
- For only 72 hours have the Americano-British troops crossed the border of Kuwait. The intensive air campaign on Iraq (...) has begun only 48 hours ago. However (...) the quagmire theme is already showing through in the newspapers. There we see the impatient desire of the redactions to see the Americans and British suffer in their endeavour. The good thing with starting by a nuanceless striking war prediction is that at the first sign of a problem, you can already dramatise. The framework for the general media slip is in place.
- The French press stays focused on the sweet revenge which it thinks it holds against those who despised the "Peace side", France and its ever-lucide journalists.
- [On the 1st of April] Serge JulySerge JulySerge July is a French journalist, founder of the daily Libération, and a prominent figure in French politics from the 1970s through the 1990s.-References:...
stays on his obsession: the "worst case scenario". Ready ? Go ! "One might have raised concerns, but worse is actually happening", the director of Libération delects himself. "The failure of the American military parade in the desert, supposed to make the regime implose within a few days, is a drawback for Donald Rumsfeld and the bunch of Dr. Strangelove of an imposed democracy". He feels however that the "statisfaction will be short". Because we will see a "real war". Confronted to "the necessity to win at all cost", the United States will cause "thousands of victims" among the civilian Iraqi population, and this while "sacrifying hundreds of GIs, perhaps thousands". This will Serge July's unvoluntary April Fool's editorial.
External links
http://hertoghe.typepad.com (Carte de presse, Hertoghe's blog)- Writer fired after blasting French war coverage (MSNBC)
- French Lies About Iraq (frontpagemag.com)
- Garlic Press (city-journal.org)
- Silence of the Lambs (NRO)