Belgium's Journalism Ethics Council, CDJ. says it is willing to meet with Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the Mouvement Réformateur (MR -Reformist Movement), following remarks he made in L’Avenir newspaper last Saturday, expressing distrust towards the media self-regulatory body
CDJ Spokesperson Muriel Hanot told Belga News Agency she was ready to discuss the matter with Mr. Bouchez to understand how the organisation could improve. She stressed the council’s dedication to continuous improvement while maintaining its commitment to seriousness and rigour, developed over 15 years. She also acknowledged that not everyone might be satisfied with the results.
The CDJ consists of 40 volunteer members, comprising media professionals such as editors and journalists as well as representatives from outside the media, including associations, universities, and legal experts. The council meets about once a month to self-regulate the journalism profession by providing opinions, rulings, guidelines, and recommendations.
Half of the complaints it receives are deemed valid, as they breach the principles of journalism ethics, and the number of complaints has been rising annually.
“There’s certainly value in filing complaints to advance journalistic practice," Ms. Hanot noted. "The entire profession draws guidance from CDJ decisions, leading to a virtuous cycle of improvement.”
However, Georges-Louis Bouchez believes it is unrealistic to think that bodies like the CDJ can rectify issues after the fact.
“When information is shared online, it becomes irretrievable: it’s shared, screenshot, broadcast, etc," he told Belga News Agency. "Even if adjudicating bodies rule in your favour, that will warrant only a brief mention years later.”
Bouchez’s scepticism about the CDJ is related to his spat with the RTBF, Belgium’s public French-lanhuage broadcaster, which he accused of airing a “completely private” phone conversation between him and one of its journalists, following an article he disputed.
Describing the incident as damaging, he argued that it “breaks trust” between journalists and politicians, cautioning his colleagues that they could be recorded without consent, potentially leading to dissemination. Calling the action both a legal and ethical breach, he stressed its severity.
An audio excerpt of the exchange, in which Bouchez expressed anger at the RTBF journalist, was released last weekend, drawing significant attention. The RTBF denied initiating the release, stating that it stemmed from an article initially featuring several factual inaccuracies about the MR president.
