FRANCE: The French presidential candidates take the campaign into cyberspace

Record ID: 347940

  • Title: FRANCE: The French presidential candidates take the campaign into cyberspace
  • Date: 11th April 2007
  • Summary: CENTRE-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NICOLAS SARKOZY TALKING TO FARMERS AT AGRICULTURAL SHOW SARKOZY SURROUNDED BY CAMERAS AT AGRICULTURAL SHOW
  • Embargoed: 26th April 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Communications,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2MMLN8EJSQJ4DHEYLNYYVSIMS
  • Story Text: France's presidential candidates have taken the election campaign into cyberspace with internet chat shows and even their own web TV. In a bid to reach the huge percent of voters who are still undecided, the French presidential candidates are promoting themselves in internet chats and video messages.
    Not only is the online campaign able to reach a wider audience, it also means that the candidates can get around the election regulations which govern the regular media channels. Campaign adverts have only been allowed on these since the official campaign opening on Monday (April 9), candidates weren't even allowed to put up posters before then.
    "The space in which you can publish adverts has been greatly reduced," said centre right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy's website manager Francois de la Brosse. "So, as we can't put up any posters, or go on the radio or buy advertising space in newspapers, the internet is the only way left to do public relations, so it is a huge advantage. And the biggest advantage is that we have unlimited space on it."
    Candidates now have to be given equal time on the main media channels, and are only allowed 45 minutes of media spots split between public television and radio to get their message across before April 20.
    But the internet also lets the parties get around this - Sarkozy for example has his own web TV, NSTV (Nicolas Sarkozy TV). NSTV has a dedicated TV team following his every step on the campaign trail, editing the stories for the website the same day.
    His main rival, Socialist Segolene Royal, is also trying to make the most of the opportunities to campaign online, welcoming potential voters to take part in online chats on her internet site.
    "Hello to everyone. Thank you very much for your participation. Millions of internet users are coming online and checking our internet site, 'wishing for the future', to contribute their part to the interactive debate I have opened there. You might even have come for real in real meetings."
    Those who couldn't take part her the meetings in person can watch her speeches online.
    The so-called "third man", centrist candidate Francois Bayrou is also using new media to try and reach a wider audience. He has been appearing in radio debates broadcast live on the RadioFrance internet site to address youths in the suburbs. He thinks the medium will change the way campaigns are fought in the future.
    "The internet has played a great role in my campaign," he explained. "It helped me escape from the main media networks, or get around the main media networks. Internet is an active network of information, where people go to find information, and where they organise themselves into networks to spread their ideas. I am sure that the internet is changing democracy."
    Even those who have been through the democratic election procedure before such as the National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen are now jumping on the internet bandwagon - indeed, Le Pen says he is the candidate most in need of alternative forms of media.
    "I think I suffer the most in terms of media exposure, the other candidates get much more media exposure than I do. I use all the media opportunities I can to communicate with the voters, of course I use the, and try to profit from them," he said before an internet chat show sponsored by Orange and the magazine "L'Express", which nevertheless beat their record for participation in one of their chat shows.
    But new media or old media, with polls showing that nearly fifty percent of voters are still undecided, the candidates will be trying to meet as wide an audience as possible.
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