A debate relaunched and the media rushing into the breach to trivialize surrogacy (GPA). Since the widely commented tweet of Marion Maréchal who reacted to the birth of stylist Simon Porte-Jacquemus’ twins, probably born under GPA, there is not a media outlet that has not addressed this divisive societal subject. Ministers, deputies, candidates for the European elections, all are now called upon to take a position. At the heart of this media proliferation, BFM TV offered this May 2 a very complacent treatment of GPA to its viewers.
GPA operation on BFM TV
It is a survey which serves as a pretext for a media campaign to trivialize GPA. The IFOP, in partnership with the Association of Homoparental Families (ADFH), is publishing, this May 2, a study on the position of the French with regard to GPA. At the question ” Some people are in favor of authorizing the use of a surrogate mother in a regulated framework in France and others are opposed to it. More specifically, would you be in favor or opposed to authorizing the use of a surrogate mother in France? », 71% of French people surveyed say they are in favor of the legalization of surrogacy for heterosexual couples (- 4 points compared to 2022) and 56% for homosexual couples (- 3 points). A boon for BFM TV who launches the pro-GPA offensive in the morning.
It’s 7:20 a.m. this Thursday, May 2. After almost an hour of morning news on general information, BFM TV addresses a first subject on GPA. In duplex, the CEO of Surrogacy Grace, an agency which offers its services for the achievement of GPA in the United States, extols the merits of using a surrogate mother for the modest sum of… 200,000 dollars! “ In the USA, [c’est] very well supervised, she assures, […] These are magnificent stories. When it’s done well, GPA is incredible stories! » A naive statement without any contradiction. On the contrary, on the set, several journalists approve. One of them even goes so far as to confide: “ Friends made [une GPA] around me and you should know that these surrogate mothers have already had a child so it is really with the idea of bringing this gift, this gift of life to parents “. To illustrate the demonstration, the channel also offers a report on the life of Mathias and Florian who used surrogacy in Canada. To listen to them, there would be “ no exploitation ”, the GPA would only be “ altruistic “. You have to wait a good five minutes of discussion for a journalist to mention – finally – the character ” illegal » of GPA in France. On This May 2, no less than five publications on GPA were published on the X account of BFM TV.
A trivialization of GPA
BFM TV is far from being the only channel to participate in the trivialization of GPA. France 5, on April 24, invited host Christophe Beaugrand to testify. For around ten minutes, the television man, who with her husband used surrogacy in the United States in 2019, praises without contradiction the use of a surrogate mother. Five days later, on Arte, the 28 minutes program in turn organizes a debate on the subject. On paper, the board seems balanced: a chain manager who has used a surrogate mother, a feminist activist opposed to surrogacy and a doctor supposed to bring a little perspective and play “ the referee “. But quickly, the exchange becomes unbalanced. Thomas Pawlowski, director of RFM, and Israel Nisand, gynecologist, both appear to be in favor of the legalization of surrogacy. Gabrielle Siry-Houari, member of Osez le feminisme, then found herself alone defending her point of view in the face of journalists who did not hesitate to qualify her arguments.
This is not the first time that the media has participated in the trivialization of surrogacy. In 2021, already, in a France 2 program during which Christophe Beaugrand recounted his journey, columnists praised GPA as a “ wonderful, ultra-moving adventure “. The Manif pour tous, denouncing a broadcast of “ propaganda » without contradiction, had called for the CSA (now Arcom) to be contacted. The regulatory authority ultimately ruled that “ this sequence, dedicated to the testimony and personal journey of the guest […] could not be seen as a debate requiring the expression of different points of view. » No breach had been held against the chain. Three years later, it is a safe bet that Arcom will find nothing wrong with this new media offensive.
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