May 16, 2017

On May 16, 2017, the French-American Foundation organized a panel discussion on the recent rise of “fake news”. The panel took a comparative look at the United States and France, especially in light of France’s presidential elections: Is the proliferation of “fake news” in France as significant a problem as it is in America?

Princeton historian David Bell will provided a historical perspective on “fake news” in both countries. Our panelists from Facebook, First Draft News, and Le Monde.fr addressed the contemporary phenomenon: Is this the end of traditional journalism? What happened to fact-checking, one of journalism’s primary tenets? How do we ensure that the media remains the “fourth pillar of democracy”? 

James Graff, a foreign news editor at The Wall Street Journal and former Paris bureau chief for Time, moderated the discussion.

************************

*Speakers:

DAVID BELL 
Historian of early modern France, Professor of History, Princeton University

AINE KERR  
Manager of Journalism Partnerships at Facebook

AIMEE RINEHART
Partner Network Manager at First Draft News

ADRIEN SENECAT Journalist, Le Monde.fr and Les Décodeurs

*Moderator:

JAMES GRAFF   
Foreign News Editor at The Wall Street Journal