French journalist calls colonialism “crime,” urges media reckoning

Jean-Michel Brun, founder of the “Muslims of France” news portal, has called on media organisations to actively address the legacy of colonialism, describing it as a crime and urging a reassessment of historical narratives.

Speaking at an international conference titled “Media and Decolonisation: Rising Voices, Amplifying Narratives”, Brun said that colonialism remains an “unchanging truth” as a crime, despite opposing views voiced by some candidates in France’s presidential election.

According to Oxu.Az, Brun argued that the press historically played a central role in supporting colonial systems, particularly in France and other colonial states.

“The task of the press was not to present colonialism in its true form, but to justify it and to shape a positive perception of colonialism in society. The colonial press also operated in the colonies. Newspapers published in Algeria, Guiana, New Caledonia and other territories spread the French view of these lands and contributed to the formation of a colonial identity. The voices of people living under colonial oppression were, in most cases, either censored or distorted. They were portrayed as ‘local populations’. The French press depicted their culture as folklore and their spirituality as superstition,” the French journalist said.

Brun stressed that modern media can play a corrective role by amplifying marginalised perspectives and providing a fuller account of historical experience.

“The press can highlight the history of these territories, the suffering they endured, their culture, languages, the memory of slavery and colonialism, as well as their political, economic and social initiatives,” he added.

By Tamilla Hasanova