Not Every Critic Is Biased Or “Fake News”

Exercise: write an 800-word editorial on the importance of media literacy to better enable news consumers to distinguish between “fake news” items, blatantly partisan and biased news sources, and mainstream news stories that still must be critically examined and analyzed rather than taken merely at face value. January 28th, 2018.

Since Donald Trump’s election and the popularization of the term “fake news,” trust in the press has been significantly eroded in the United States. If Democrats seem to trust the media more than ever before, only 19% of Republicans revealed that they have “’a fair amount’ of confidence in the press,” according to a recent Poynter Media Trust Survey.

In those circumstances, media literacy is more important than ever to help the audience distinguish “fake news” and partisan articles, from criticism and analysis in mainstream news stories.

“Fake news” should be confined to describing made up stories and rumors, such as fictional articles from satiric sources like The Onion. These stories are fake by definition, since they deliberately spread false information, most of the time from illegitimate or non-news sources.

Why, then, is the term used to describe numerous opinion or fact-based articles as well?

When Trump counselor Kellyane Conway talked about “alternative facts,” last January, she was accusing mainstream media, such as The New York Times, of misrepresenting Trump’s inauguration’s attendance. She was standing by Trump, affirming that the Capitol was crowded, when the press had published pictures of a half empty place, comparing it to Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.

Ever since, Trump has been using and abusing the term “fake news” to refer to every news outlet publishing or airing “biased” stories that do not serve his cause. CNN, The New York Times, and other well known media organizations with great reputations worldwide were temporarily blacklisted by the President, while Fox News, which has supported him, has been praised by Trump’s administration — creating a debate about the freedom of the press and the First Amendment.

Where is the boundary between “fake news” and partisan news then?

Partisan media are more subjective. By definition, they support one specific point of view over another. Fox News and CNN are very likely to cover the same political event a different way, for example, but it does not mean that one channel is right, and that the other one is wrong. They just give more coverage to points of view that share their ownership’s, management, or audiences’ values than to competing opinions. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they lie. But they do take sides, and promote and defend their own arguments.

Today, objective journalism is rarely objective anymore. Even “neutral” media entities must choose how to cover an event. Otherwise, why would there be so many different media outlets if they all told the same stories the same way?

It seems there are almost as many media outlets, and as many journalists as there are opinions. For this reason, news consumers should not stick to only one medium or news source. They should read the same news topics from several different sources for an opportunity to see different sides of a story, and develop their own opinion. A news organization could reveal relatively important information in a story that another outlet may have missed or minimize. Reading only one point of view would be like burying your head in the sand. It is always interesting to hear refuting arguments, even if you disagree with them.

Why is it important to remind people of this? Because the media exist to inform their audiences. To tell them stories. To let people know about what is happening in the world. And critically examining or analyzing an event, such as a new law voted by the Congress, does not mean that the media brainwash or lie to their audiences.

Critics and analysts are here to compare. To show the evolution of a country — or of the world — through different period of history and different perspectives. To try to find explanations. Journalists who compare President Obama’s and President Trump’s projects regarding health insurance may be implying that one is making better decisions than the other, but they are mainly showing contrasting political views and how the country’s perspective evolves over time.

News consumers must be able to see the difference between “fake news” and opinionated news from critics and analysts. But how can they possibly do so in an era in which everybody can spread rumors through social media within seconds?

Media consumers need to be guided, and taught how to trust the press. To help with this, Facebook and Google announced, in 2016, that they would curtail “fake news” from being spread by “restricting their ability to make ad revenue,” according to FactCheck.org. This may not solve people’s trust issue in the mainstream media, but it would at least limit somewhat news consumers from reading so much false information and so easily spreading it further.

Meanwhile, the audience should keep in mind than not every critic or analyst is biased or “fake news.”

The French Entertainment Industry Is Americanizing, And French People Are Not So Happy About It

Exercise: write a story related to the Entertainment industry. December 8th, 2017.

Over the last four decades, French movies, TV shows, and music have been increasingly influenced by American references and English language. If some French musicians and directors still produce French art, most of them are turning to American-like content.

For many Americans, the idea of “French art” evokes accordionists, Edith Piaf, poetry, and black and white movies. Sorry to disappoint, but French artists have tackled those clichés a while ago, and would now rather create American-like art.  

Nowadays, French actors and directors are less likely to dream about attending the Cannes Film Festival or winning the Cesar — the equivalent of the Oscars in France — than winning at the Oscars. Some have even accomplished this dream, like Marion Cotillard, who won Best Actress for 2007’s La Vie En Rose, Jean Dujardin, who won Best Actor for 2011’s The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, who won Best Director for 2011’s The Artist, or Thomas Langmann, who won Best Picture for 2011’s The Artist.

Since actor Maurice Chevalier became the first French person to ever be nominated at the Oscars in 1929, French people have been nominated in every possible Academy Awards category. In the first half of the 20th century, these nominations were still pretty rare, with a nomination about every 10 years in the main categories. Since 2000, however, there have been 92 Oscar nominations for French people, including four actresses in the Best Actress category —  Juliette Binoche (for 2000’s Chocolat), Cotillard (for 2007’s La Vie En Rose and 2014’s Two Days, One Night), Emmanuelle Riva (for 2012’s Amour), and Isabelle Huppert (for 2016’s Elle).

American recognition has now become the goal. Actors want to be featured in American movies — like Omar Sy in Jurassic World (2015) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014); Cotillard in Inception (2010) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012); or Vincent Cassel in Black Swan (2010), Ocean’s 12 (2004) and Ocean’s 13 (2007). Success in France is measured by success abroad. If you didn’t make it to Hollywood, you’re considered less successful.

When asked recently via Facebook if the French entertainment industry is slowly fading away, most French people say it is. Like Julia, 24, a journalism student who wants to specialize in cinema, a lot of French people find it “unfortunate” that French art is losing its identity. Some people, like Yoren, 23, a 3D conception and realization student, explain this by the fact that French cinema is more likely “home-art cinema,” which doesn’t seem to be accessible to everybody. French cinema tends to be either affiliated to the upper-class and having a lot of culture, or to cheesy and poor storylines, to which some people don’t identify. As Yoren said, “People tend to prefer American movies because they’re ‘cooler,’ and ‘less intellectual’ than French cinema.”

Some people also criticize the Americanization of French cinema because, for some, American cinema is all about blockbusters and profit. For English literature student Lucile, 24, “The influence is inevitable considering the place of the American cinema industry on history, and its impact on the world. The mercantile aspect compels French cinema to internationalize itself — English being the international language.”

The saddest part is that, until recently, cinema appeared to be the part of the French entertainment industry that did the best. For a while now, French people have preferred to watch American and British TV shows to French ones. A study from the European Audiovisual Observatory revealed that, in 2012, 62% of the cinema-goers in the European Union went to the movie theater to see U.S. productions. Most of them consumed American TV shows as well.

Since the launching of Netflix France in 2014, American TV shows have become more accessible to French viewers, — the country compels French TV channels to broadcast at least 40% of French productions — and a major topic of conversation.

When asked about their favorite shows, French people mostly give the same answers: Game of Thrones, Friends, The Walking Dead, Grey’s Anatomy, and other English or British shows. Older generations were already highly more interested in American shows; kids from the 60’s were crazy about Dallas, and the following generation grew up watching Baywatch. French TV shows just appeared to be bad remakes of American soap operas.

In this way, French TV shows’ situation has been even worse than the one of the cinema industry: They never actually interested French people. Lately, however, recent series from Canal + — a private French channel — like The Returned, The Bureau, and Versailles seem to have caught people’s attention, in France and abroad. For the first time, audiences are not only discussing new episodes of American popular shows, they are also showing enthusiasm for French productions. One of the reasons of these shows’ success might be that, contrary to cinema, which is denying French culture, those shows took advantage of the particularities of French culture to create content that actually applies to France. The Returned — which won Best Drama Series in the 2013’s International Emmy Awards — stuck to a classic French genre, — horror — and takes place in French villages in the mountains. The Bureau revolves around the daily life of the agents of General Directorate of External Security, who ensure France’s security, which particularly resonates in a period during which terrorism has aimed France a few times over the last two years. And if Versailles had taken place in any other place that is not as famous as King Louis XIV’s majestic castle, the show would have probably not even have caught the eyes of the audience.

However, the same thing cannot be said about the music industry. Since the loss of French legends Edith Piaf, Gainsbourg, Alain Bashung, and Johnny Hallyday, and after the dissolution of the mythic rock band Telephone in 1986 ­— they came back under the name Les Insus (short for “The Unbearables”) for a two-year tour between 2015 and 2017, before returning to their solo careers, — French music seem to have been slowly dying.

A lot of current French musicians and artists either draw inspiration from American pop artist­­s and American hip hop artists — and it sounds terrible — or sing in English. French artists have been trying to follow an American model: Make commercial music for everybody, so you can sell more and make more money. But it appears to be a disaster for those who try. American culture grew naturally with hip hop culture and pop artists, that has been their trademarks for years, and it works well — most of the time. But French culture has grown with radically different inspirations, so it just doesn’t sound right.

A lot of artists simply — and perhaps understandably — chose to sing in English to reach a larger audience. But even the former First Lady of France, Carla Bruni, who has traditionally sung in French, just launched the album French Touch, in which she covers English songs.

Today, the most successful French music artists have kept the essence of French modern music: electronic music. But unfortunately, those artists — like David Guetta, Daft Punk, or Justice — have all chosen to release tracks in English,  and most of them left the country. Since becoming successful, Guetta has been living on the Spanish island of Ibiza, where he plays most of the time. And Daft Punk — who have been refusing nominations to the Victoires de la Musique (i.e. the French Grammy Awards) — live in Los Angeles. The duo have always showed the firm intention to succeed internationally. And they barely perform in France anymore.

Talk about “the French Touch…”

From Turkey to Hollywood: the struggle of a young producer to make it in the cinema industry

Exercise: write a profile story about a stranger you interviewed. November 28th, 2017.

Ali-Can Acar, 25, was a student in Istanbul, Turkey, two years and a half ago. Today, after a year of studying Acting at UCLA Extension, and six months of hard work, between editing and driving for Uber, he finished producing his very first short movie, called “Unknown Transaction.”

Acar came to California on his own, in hope of making himself a name in Hollywood, like many other Americans and foreigners. Despite a degree in Graphic Design, and a comfortable situation in the Turkish capital, Acar decided to pursue the dream he has had since he discovered Martin Scorsese’s movies.

After six months of English classes in San Francisco, Acar moved to Los Angeles to enter UCLA Extension’s Acting program, in order to learn both about acting and producing. There, he learnt techniques of improvisation, he learnt how to occupy the space, and how to show different expressions and emotions.

“UCLA’s program really helped me pushing myself further. I learnt a lot about acting, and it helped me a lot to write and act in my film,” Acar said.

Six months after his graduation, he just finished editing an American short movie about a man struggling to quit smoking, in which he operated as both an actor and a producer. From screenwriting to editing, as well as directing and acting, Acar had the main role in this movie, which he considers like his “baby.”

“In June, my collaborators and I filmed a 24-minute movie with a budget of only $250,” he said. “It was exciting to manage a team, to negotiate with collaborators, and to shoot the movie, and it was really interesting to edit the whole movie by myself. The hardest part was definitely the soundtrack. I’ve spent four months on this part!”

When he was not in front of his computer, working on his movie, Acar was working as an Uber driver, to pay rent.

“One of the reasons why it took me so long to edit this film is because I had to make money at the same time,” he explained. “Los Angeles is an expensive city to live in, and I had to find time for both my project and making money.”

Last year, Acar was one of a few thousands to win the Green Card Lottery, which made him a resident in the United States. He is aware that, for many people, it would be the opportunity to just stay in the country, and that it makes everything easier, especially as an actor. However, when asked about his future, Acar is clear: “I want to spend half of my time in the United States, and the other half in Turkey, my home country.” He wants to take advantage of being an actor and a producer to choose to work in both places.

“I will be able to do that once I obtain American citizenship, in a few years. But right now, I have to stay here to work and to get my citizenship,” he explained.

Sometimes, it is hard for Acar to feel like he has to stay. Now that his film is finished, he is trying to save money to go visit his family in Turkey. “I haven’t come back there in over two years,” Acar said. “I feel homesick sometimes, but it is expensive to fly back to Turkey and not work for a few weeks.”

Waiting for the moment he will be able to return to his loved ones, Acar wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m., to start driving around 6 a.m. “This is the best time of the day, because there is barely traffic at this time,” he said. Around 9 a.m., when the streets start getting really busy, he always goes to his favorite Starbucks’ coffee shop, on Sunset Boulevard, to order a grande hazelnut latte. This is where we met to talk about his life and projects. The rest of his day, Acar usually spends it driving some more, and coming home to eat, and to edit his film.

Now that his short movie is ready to launch, — he is still thinking about a date, and a place where to launch it, — Acar is already thinking about his future projects. Nothing is yet settled, but Acar is full of dreams and ambitions, and has the firm intention to “work as hard as [he has] to.” He is aware that tens of thousands of people come to Hollywood to achieve the same goals as his, and he will put as much effort as he can to succeed in his career. “I believe I can do it,” he said confidently.

Feminists Protest Against a Retrospective Dedicated to Controversial Director Roman Polanski in Paris

Exercise: write a news feature related to the entertainment industry. [I chose this topic because it was news at the time, and because it was something my classmates wouldn’t have written about.] November 8th, 2017.

French feminists protesting against a retrospective honoring Roman Polanski’s work, at La Cinémathèque Française, in Paris. ® REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Announced last spring, an exhibit dedicated to director Roman Polanski’s work is currently taking place at La Cinémathèque Française, a Parisian institution devoted to cinema, until December 3^rd, 2017.

Feminists have been protesting to cancel the event since mid-October, after a fifth woman reported that Polanski had raped her.

The French-Polish producer is still wanted in the United States, from where he escaped 40 years ago, after having served only a month a half in prison for raping a 13-year-old girl. He was facing charges up to 50 years in jail when he fled the country. Since then, he has been living and producing films in Europe.

To Laura Salmona, who launched an online petition demanding the cancellation of the retrospective, that had been signed over 28,000 times, it is “indecent” to honor Polanski, especially at a time when women are beginning to open up about sexual harassment. To Salmona, “France has tolerated abusive sexual behavior from politicians, celebrities and employers for too long.”

The director of La Cinémathèque, Frédéric Bonnaud, quickly reacted to the complaints by saying the institution isn’t a “substitute to any justice.” He told Le Figaro that “the program is made a year in advance. We knew Polanski had a movie ready for Cannes [Film Festival]. Great cineastes have right to a retrospective every 12 years.”

French charity Osez le féminisme (or “Dare feminism”) consider that “by the deliberated choice of this retrospective about Polanski, by ignoring the criminal acts he’s been accused of, La Cinémathèque contributes to the idea that raping a child isn’t that bad considering the ‘genius of the artist’.”

In a press release from October 25^th, Bonnaud, along with president of La Cinémathèque and film director Costa-Gavras, and members of the board, denounced the demand as a “plain and simple censorship.” They consider that they “don’t give neither awards, nor certificates of good conduct. Our ambition is quite different: to show the entirety of cineastes’ works, and to replace them in the flux of a permanent history of the cinema.”

On October 30th, the day of the retrospective’s premiere, about a hundred people showed up at La Cinémathèque with signs saying “If raping is an art: give Polanski all the Cesar [the French equivalent of the Oscars]” or “No honor for rapists.” They started yelling through the glasses of La Cinémathèque, creating a startling contrast with the two full rooms where about 600 people were about to assist to the projection.

An activist of Osez le féminisme, who was there during the protests, explains that, “contrary to La Cinémathèque, [feminists] don’t believe in the dissociation between the man and the artist.”

Last Monday, on France Inter’s microphone, French Minister of Culture, Françoise Nyssen, tried to appease minds by calling people “not to condemn the artwork.” To Nyssen, “it is about an artwork, not about a man. I do not have to condemn artwork.”

Her colleague Marlène Schiappa, French Secretary in charge of the equality between men and women, suggested on the following day to stop “rolling out the red carpet” to perpetrators of sexual harassment and to make “heroes” of them. She said she had also been “shocked” by a planned retrospective dedicated to “another cineaste [Jean-Claude Brisseau], who has been condemned twice for sexual harassment.”

Today, in response to Schiappa and the protestants’ complaints, La Cinémathèque published a press release in which they announced that “in a concern for cooling down, Costa-Gavras, president of La Cinémathèque Française, has decided to postpone the retrospective dedicated to Jean-Claude Brisseau, initially planned for January 2018.”

Jimmy Fallon to Talk About His New Book

Exercise: Retranscription of part of an interview previously aired on Fresh Air, with Terry Gross. November 2nd, 2017.

Host, comedian, actor… Jimmy Fallon seems to have every skill. Today, we are focusing on the writer —who people usually do not know— on the occasion of the publication of his new book, “Everything Is Mama.”

The busy host of “The Tonight Show” passes on the other side of the mic in today’s “Fresh Air” to talk about his new book, “Everything Is Mama,” which was published on October 10^th.

After “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA,”, published in 2015, “Everything Is Mama” is Jimmy Fallon’s second book for children just beginning to learn language. Each page contains an illustration of a mother animal teaching her baby animal the name of a new object. And instead of repeating the name of the object, the baby animal responds to each new word by “mama.”

On the day of the publication of the book, Shaquille O’Neal was the guest of “The Tonight Show.” The NBA star decided to surprise his host by reading his new book out loud with Fallon on his lap. On the mic, Fallon admits it is “tricky” for him to introduce his own books as he is usually the one selling or bringing awareness about other people’s projects.

When asked about why he started writing children’s books, Fallon admits his own daughters are the whole reason why. His new book is actually directly inspired from his own child. “The 4-year-old is starting to memorize books and kind of pretend like she is reading,” he says. “It’s really interesting. I’m literally watching someone learn how to read in front of me.” He likes the idea that his children can learn how to read with his books.

Fallon’s first book, “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA,” started with the idea of a joke between parents about what the baby’s first word will be. When his first daughter was born, he “kept saying the word dada, hopefully to fake the kid out so that she would just keep repeating and would say the word dada,” he confides. If it did not work on his first child, —she said mama first— his technique worked on the second one, to whom he read the book, in which animals make sounds, and baby animals respond by “dada.”

With “Everything Is Mama,” Fallon now puts “mamas” at honor.