Le regard du journaliste en démocratie : conditions et enjeux de 1880 à nos jours

• Auteur / Autrice : Géraldine Muhlmann
• Direction : Miguel Abensour
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Lettres, sciences humaines et sociales
• Date : Soutenance en 2001
• Etablissement(s) : Paris 7

Mots clés

Mots clés contrôlés

Dans la presse

Démocratie

Presse et politique

Journalisme -- Aspect politique

Résumé

L'apparition, dans la seconde moitié du XIXè siècle, de la presse de masse, dans les démocraties occidentales, a profondément modifié le journalisme. Le regard du journaliste semble désormais avoir pour enjeu d'intégrer le public, de constituer un "nous", plutôt que d'installer du conflit dans la communauté des lecteurs. Beaucoup de critiques du journalisme contemporain expriment la nostalgie d'un conflit perdu sur la scène des opinions et des regards. Il reste à savoir sur quelles conceptions de la démocratie ces critiques reposent. La première partie de ce travail examine les fondements possibles d'une réflexion politique critique sur le journalisme. Plusieurs auteurs sont étudiés: G. Tarde, les sociologues de Chicago, W. Benjamin, K. Kraus, J. Habermas, M. Foucault, R. Barthes, P. Bourdieu. On revient aussi sur certains points d'ancrages de la réflexion sur l'espace public et sur la position de spectateur: Kant et sa conception de la "publicité", Marx et son concept d'idéologie. . .

The popular press, born in western democracies in the second part of the XIXth century, has deeply transformed journalism. From now on, the journalist's eye seems to be aimed at integrating the public, at constituting a "we" rather than stimulating conflicts inside the community of readers. Many criticisms of contemporary journalism express nostalgia for a conflict that has been excluded from the scene of opinions and views. But which conceptions of democracy are those criticisms based on? The first part of this work examines the possible foundations for a critical political reflection upon journalism. Several authors are studied: G. Tarde, the sociologists of the Chicago School, W. Benjamin, K. Kraus, J. Habermas, M. Foucault, R. Barthes, P. Bourdieu. Some essential thoughts about the public space and the position of the spectator are analysed: Kant and his conception of "publicity", Marx and his concept of ideology. A reflection upon the political implications of the journalist's eye needs to avoid two extremes: the ideal of a perfect plurality, and the complete disillusionment when facing the inescapable homogeneity of representations in the public space. If we situate the journalist's eye in this intermediary period, we can examine the forms it takes when its priority of readers around a center ("gathering journalisms", studied in the second part of the thesis), or, on the contrary, when it aims to dissolve the "we" and, as much as possible, to stimulate conf1icts inside the community ("decentring journalisms", studied in the third part). These observations will be based upon key-figures. We will study the following: the writing of Séverine, who was a disciple of Jules Vallès; Nellie Bly's report on Blackwell's Island, published in Pulitzer's New York World in 188i͏̈; the muckrakers' movement, especially Lincoln Steffens's intellectual and journalistic path; three reports by Albert Londres; Edward R. Murrow's and Fred W. Friendly's documentaries on McCarthy; the New Journalism; the first years of the French newspaper "Libération"; the writing of George Orwell; some eyes on violence, especially Michael Herr's and Seymour Hersh's reports on the Vietnam War.