Under the pretext of informing, Oise Hebdo republishes the photo of a huntsman who was already the victim of cyber-harassment. One more provocation.
Journalistic indecency reaches a new peak: Oise Hebdo persists in its dubious practices by publishing a second time the photo of an insurer from Senlis, a hunting enthusiast, already the victim of a media lynching orchestrated by the newspaper in complicity with the small group AVA (Abolisons la Vènerie Today). This deliberate editorial choice, disguised under the fallacious pretext of the right to information, shows a clear desire to provoke and exacerbate tensions.
A case that turns into relentlessness
Let's remember the facts. On December 14, a deer hit two vehicles on the RN31 while a hound hunt was taking place in the Compiègne forest. The AVA association, always quick to exploit the slightest incident, published a video combining images of the accident and those of the insurer who came on site to draw up a report. An old photo, showing him in huntsman's outfit during an altercation in January 2023, was added to the video, suggesting imaginary guilt.
A lire sur la même affaire : Oise Hebdo, complice zélé de la propagande d’AVA
Without hindsight or verification, Oise Hebdo relayed this video in an article published on December 16, revealing in passing the identity of the insurer. The latter, a victim of online harassment, then requested the removal of the video and photo. Faced with the newspaper's refusal, he filed a complaint for infringement of his image rights.
A barely veiled provocation
This Monday, January 6, Oise Hebdo publishes a new article reporting the summons of its publication director by the Compiègne gendarmerie, in the context of this affair. Far from making amends, the newspaper drives the point home by taking exactly the same photo. This editorial choice is an act of defiance and provocation, a way of rekindling the controversy while trampling on the rights of the person concerned.
How can we explain this obstinacy? Behind the smokescreen of the right to information, Oise Hebdo seems to want to impose a balance of power. The photo of the insurer/seller, placed on the front page of their article, serves no other purpose than to stir up tensions and maintain media pressure on an already exposed individual.
Journalism or activism?
By choosing to reproduce a contested and questionable image, Oise Hebdo reveals an activist editorial line. At no time does the newspaper seem to take the measure of its ethical or legal responsibilities. Worse, he justifies his actions by asserting that the insurer would be a “public figure”from the simple fact that he hunts with hounds and takes a stand on social networks. An abusive and misleading interpretation of the status of a public figure, which shows a lack of knowledge or contempt for the legal rules surrounding image rights.
Fundamental rights violated
The right to information is a pillar of democracy, but it comes with responsibilities. The protection of privacy and image rights are just as fundamental. the insurer was not on the hunt during this accident. He was simply carrying out his duties. Associating his image with an incident that he did not cause is a serious deviation and an obvious lack of discernment.
By doing so, Oise Hebdo exposes a man to popular vindictiveness while diverting debates on hunting from their real issue: respect for opinions and practices within a legal framework.
A call for responsibility
The summoning of Vincent Gérard, publishing director of Oise Hebdo, by the Compiègne gendarmerie, is a first step towards justice. But this matter must go further. It raises an essential question: how far can we go under the pretext of informing? Journalism, when it becomes a relay of propaganda, loses its legitimacy and its fundamental role.
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