‘Journal 20h00’ programme shown on 13 October 2025 – appearance on France 2

A complaint was lodged with Arcom following the diffusion on France 2, during the 1pm and 8pm news broadcasts on 13 October, of comments relating to the memorial service for Dominique Bernard, a teacher killed at a school complex in Arras on 13 October 2023.

Meeting in committee on 17 June 2026, Arcom deliberated on the matter.

Pursuant to Article 35 of its terms of reference, France Télévisions “ensures the honesty, transparency, independence and plurality of news coverage, as well as the pluralistic expression of different schools of thought and opinion. […] The company exercises rigour in the presentation and handling of information. It verifies the accuracy and sources of information. Uncertain information is presented in the conditional tense. […] The company retains control of its broadcasts at all times in accordance with its internal control scheme. ’ Furthermore, under the provisions of Article 1 of Resolution No. 2018-11 of 18 April 2018 on the honesty and independence of information and the programmes that contribute to it, “The broadcaster of an audiovisuel service must ensure the integrity of news and the programmes that form part of it. (…) The broadcaster shall guarantee the accuracy and sources of all information. Where possible, the source of such information must be indicated. Uncertain information shall be presented in the conditional tense. The broadcaster shall provide evidence of rigour in the presentation and handling of information.”

Whilst the news coverage in October 2025 concerning the tributes paid to Dominique Bernard and Samuel Paty, both victims of terrorism whilst carrying out their duties as teachers, appears to shed light on the circumstances that may have led to such confusion regarding the killers’ motives, Arcom considered that the error observed in this case in the handling of the information, relating to events of the utmost gravity, was such as to constitute a breach by the publisher of its obligation to act with honesty and rigour in the presentation of information. The fact that this error occurred on two separate occasions during the same day appears to support this finding.

Consequently, it has taken firm action against France Télévisions, demanding that it ensure, in future, compliance with the requirement for honesty and rigour incumbent upon it in the presentation of news, in all circumstances, and particularly when covering such dramatic events.