Les Procès du siècle #6 – À notre humanité ! © Benoit Guillaume
Infos, médias : où est passé le pluralisme ?, Les Procès du siècle #6 – À notre humanité ! © Benoit Guillaume

News, Media: Where Has Pluralism Gone?

Trials of the Century - To Our Humanity!

  • Debate-
  • Meeting

How can we ensure media pluralism, an indisputable pillar of our democratic values?

A session moderated by François Saltiel.
Featuring Fabrice Arfi, journalist, and Nathalie Sonnac, professor of information and communication sciences.

In this age of social media, digital platforms, and 24/7 news channels, one might expect that the abundance of information would go hand in hand with a diversity of viewpoints. And yet.

The media sector is currently facing crises that are undermining the principles of independence and pluralism and calling into question its ability to protect our democratic values. Concentration of ownership in the hands of a few private players, criticism and attacks on public broadcasting, and ideological digital strategies… How can we protect a pluralistic media landscape, which remains a central pillar of our democracies?

In case of a large crowd, a live stream will be available in the forum.
After the event, please head to the table at the Mucem bookstore for a book signing.
A bar and light refreshments will be available on site.

  • François Saltiel, journalist, author, teacher, and producer

    François Saltiel is a journalist, author, teacher, and producer. Since September 2021, he has been the producer of the programs *Un monde connecté* (Monday through Thursday) and *La Fabrique de l’information* (Friday) on France Culture, which each week aim to spark debate about the future and examine the new technologies that are reshaping our society. Previously, he produced the program *Le Meilleur des mondes* for three seasons.

    A television journalist (for theprograms “28 Minutes” on Arte and “C Médiatique” on France 5), he is also a co-founder of the production company Art2voir, which develops documentaries, podcasts, and fiction. Finally, he is vice president of the film education association Txiki Productions and has been teaching journalism and audiovisual production at the Sorbonne Nouvelle and IFP Paris 2 since 2005.

    As an author, he published his first essay with Flammarion in 2018, *The Tea Seller Who Changed the World with a Hashtag*, followed in 2020 by *The Contactless Society: A Selfie of a World in Decline*, and in August 2025 by *Making Peace with Our Screens* with Virginie Sassoon, also published by Flammarion.

  • Fabrice Arfi, journalist

    Fabrice Arfi, 45, has been a journalist since the age of 18. After working in local and national media, he joined the online newspaper Mediapart when it was founded in 2008, where he co-leads the investigative team. He has been behind several high-profile stories: Karachi, Bettencourt, Cahuzac, and Sarkozy-Gaddafi.

    He is the author of several books, including *D’argent et de sang*, *Avec les compliments du Guide*, and *La troisième vie* (winner of the Jean Daniel Prize).

    In 2026, he received the Christophe de Ponfilly Prize, awarded by the Société civile des auteurs multimédia (Scam).

  • Nathalie Sonnac is a professor of information and communication sciences at Paris Panthéon-Assas University

    Nathalie Sonnac is a professor of information and communication sciences at Paris Panthéon-Assas University, specializing in the economics of media, culture, and the digital sector. She is a faculty member and researcher at the Carism Laboratory of the French Press Institute (IFP) and served as a member of the French Audiovisual Council (CSA) from 2015 to 2021, where she chaired the Television Working Group.

    She has chaired Clémi’s Operational and Development Council (COP) since March 2022. The author of numerous books, scholarly articles, and opinion pieces, her publications include *Le nouveau monde des médias*. A Democratic Emergency, published by Odile Jacob in 2023, and *Who Wants to Destroy Public Broadcasting?*, published by Éditions de l’Observatoire in May 2026.

How can we ensure media pluralism, an indisputable pillar of our democratic values?

A session moderated by François Saltiel.
Featuring Fabrice Arfi, journalist, and Nathalie Sonnac, professor of information and communication sciences.

In this age of social media, digital platforms, and 24/7 news channels, one might expect that the abundance of information would go hand in hand with a diversity of viewpoints. And yet.

The media sector is currently facing crises that are undermining the principles of independence and pluralism and calling into question its ability to protect our democratic values. Concentration of ownership in the hands of a few private players, criticism and attacks on public broadcasting, and ideological digital strategies… How can we protect a pluralistic media landscape, which remains a central pillar of our democracies?

In case of a large crowd, a live stream will be available in the forum.
After the event, please head to the table at the Mucem bookstore for a book signing.
A bar and light refreshments will be available on site.

  • François Saltiel, journalist, author, teacher, and producer

    François Saltiel is a journalist, author, teacher, and producer. Since September 2021, he has been the producer of the programs *Un monde connecté* (Monday through Thursday) and *La Fabrique de l’information* (Friday) on France Culture, which each week aim to spark debate about the future and examine the new technologies that are reshaping our society. Previously, he produced the program *Le Meilleur des mondes* for three seasons.

    A television journalist (for theprograms “28 Minutes” on Arte and “C Médiatique” on France 5), he is also a co-founder of the production company Art2voir, which develops documentaries, podcasts, and fiction. Finally, he is vice president of the film education association Txiki Productions and has been teaching journalism and audiovisual production at the Sorbonne Nouvelle and IFP Paris 2 since 2005.

    As an author, he published his first essay with Flammarion in 2018, *The Tea Seller Who Changed the World with a Hashtag*, followed in 2020 by *The Contactless Society: A Selfie of a World in Decline*, and in August 2025 by *Making Peace with Our Screens* with Virginie Sassoon, also published by Flammarion.

  • Fabrice Arfi, journalist

    Fabrice Arfi, 45, has been a journalist since the age of 18. After working in local and national media, he joined the online newspaper Mediapart when it was founded in 2008, where he co-leads the investigative team. He has been behind several high-profile stories: Karachi, Bettencourt, Cahuzac, and Sarkozy-Gaddafi.

    He is the author of several books, including *D’argent et de sang*, *Avec les compliments du Guide*, and *La troisième vie* (winner of the Jean Daniel Prize).

    In 2026, he received the Christophe de Ponfilly Prize, awarded by the Société civile des auteurs multimédia (Scam).

  • Nathalie Sonnac is a professor of information and communication sciences at Paris Panthéon-Assas University

    Nathalie Sonnac is a professor of information and communication sciences at Paris Panthéon-Assas University, specializing in the economics of media, culture, and the digital sector. She is a faculty member and researcher at the Carism Laboratory of the French Press Institute (IFP) and served as a member of the French Audiovisual Council (CSA) from 2015 to 2021, where she chaired the Television Working Group.

    She has chaired Clémi’s Operational and Development Council (COP) since March 2022. The author of numerous books, scholarly articles, and opinion pieces, her publications include *Le nouveau monde des médias*. A Democratic Emergency, published by Odile Jacob in 2023, and *Who Wants to Destroy Public Broadcasting?*, published by Éditions de l’Observatoire in May 2026.

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