Page - 126 - in Media – Migration – Integration - European and North American Perspectives

Souley Hassane | Mainstream Media vs. Ethnic Minority Media 126 would have remained largely unknown. The Internet de-territorialized the outcry from Oumma.com, taking it into North and sub-Saharan francophone Africa. The image of a France which continuously hounds Muslims is becoming disseminated throughout the francophone Muslim world, one of the important segments of the “French-speaking world”, with which the values of peace, equality and diversity have long been associated. The interconnection between the intellectual and political scene and the media is noteworthy. The comments made by a politician with electoral aims are used to the greatest advantage by the media. The central significance accorded to communication in French politics can explain this phenomenon. The overlap between the world of the media and that of politics, between owners of media and political leaders, makes the dimensions and scope of the media impact of these populist phrases apparent. They are at the heart of a strategy for the conquest of political, media and economic power. The major effect detrimental to integration is that the authors attack from as many vantages as possible the most vulnerable populations, those who are incapable of deterring or penalizing them. Striving to increase popularity among audien- ces and the electorate by attacking one section of the French population can only lead to further resentment, hate, fear and reactionary behavior in that group. Sacrificing one part of the French population in the conquest for power is irresponsible. Society is taking a far-reaching ideological and political turn backwards. In this sense, this development is a serious hindrance to inte- gration. 3.3 Oumma.com in the face of complacent reporting A further matter to be examined here is the relationship of information to television. Television combines image and sound (Deltombe 2005, p. 382). The effect of documentary broadcasts is extremely complex, involving an interplay of elements on symbolic and physical levels. Yet, it is easy to cut an interview and manipulate the images, that is, to display something as reality which is, in fact, a fake. This practice has even been sanctioned by the charter of journalism signed in Munich in 1971, and implemented, for example, in the broadcast “la marche du siècle”, hosted by Jean-Marie Cavada in 1995. Images were retouched so that a supposed Islamist could appear with a beard to satisfy audience expectations of stereotyped representations. In the context of these issues, Tariq Ramadan has been portrayed in a negative light in the major media of France. On 16 November 2003, Karl Zéro broadcasts on Canal Plus an ‘interview’ with this Swiss scholar, who is of Egyptian descent. It was manifestly clear that the host was searching for