Regulatory Bodies

Statutory Bodies

In terms of regulatory authorities there is the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel  or CSA, allocates licenses and frequencies. Its overarching mission: to guarantee the freedom of audio-visual communication in France. However, its independence remains a constant issue of discussion due to the procedure of the President of France appointing a third of its nine members.

The High Authority for Works diffusion and Internet rights' protection (Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Œuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet, HADOPI) was created in 2007 to prevent the exchange of illegal material on the internet and regulate property rights on the net.

Self-regulatory Bodies

There is no official French Press Council; however, there have been initiatives to institute one by associations, such as the Association of Prefiguration of a Press Council in France, who have expressed their desire to found a press council which would provide a common space to address complaints concerning the media and offer also the opportunity for public debate on them and any other relevant issues. On the other hand, another view held among a considerable number of journalists is that establishing a press council will harm their independence.

For ombudsman, an in house one has been established in the newspaper Le Monde.