French Petition Calling for the Ban of News Channel CNews Exceeds 500,000 Signatures

A citizen petition demanding the removal of the continuous news channel CNews from the French broadcasting landscape surpassed 500,000 verified signatures on Monday, November 2. Launched months earlier on the National Assembly's digital platform by author Lucas Massoni, the text criticizes the network as a propaganda machine and cites numerous regulatory warnings and financial penalties accrued since 2019.

The petition experienced a massive surge in participation following a racist terrorist attack in Trappes and La Verrière on October 23, which left one person dead and multiple others injured. The tragedy reignited fierce criticism from various political figures, including local mayors and leftist lawmakers, who accused certain media outlets of fostering an atmosphere of stigmatization and division.

In the petition text, the author points to what he characterizes as severe ethical breaches, including inflammatory remarks broadcast during prime-time programs concerning minority groups, foreign minors, and public figures. The document calls on the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulation Agency, known as Arcom, to strip the network of its digital terrestrial television frequency and force its closure.

Reaching the milestone of 500,000 signatures initiates a formal parliamentary process under the rules of the National Assembly. First, the relevant parliamentary committee—the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education—must review the text and decide whether to examine it or dismiss it. If it moves forward, the Conference of Presidents would ultimately determine if a full debate in the chamber should be scheduled.

Parliamentary rules dictate that a debate in the hemicycle does not guarantee legislative action, nor does it carry the power to directly shut down a broadcasting network. Past petitions that crossed the threshold have met different fates; some resulted in public debates without a binding vote, while others were dismissed outright by lawmakers.

CNews declined to comment on what it termed a political petition. The channel maintains that it champions freedom of expression and covers essential topics that other media outlets frequently overlook, such as immigration and security. Representatives for the network also highlighted audience ratings that place it among the leading news channels in the country.

Under French law, the authority to suspend or revoke a television broadcasting frequency belongs exclusively to Arcom, operating under judicial oversight. Arcom previously issued formal warnings and financial sanctions against CNews for failing to maintain a balanced expression of diverse viewpoints, decisions that the network has contested before the Council of State.