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Why the Macron Hacking Attack Landed With a Thud in France Why the Macron Hacking Attack Landed With a Thud in France
(35 minutes later)
PARIS — French readers awoke on Monday to headlines about its young president-elect, Emmanuel Macron, and his decisive defeat of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.PARIS — French readers awoke on Monday to headlines about its young president-elect, Emmanuel Macron, and his decisive defeat of the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.
What they did not find were details of the “massive” hacking attack on the Macron campaign that was announced late Friday night, just before the start of a 44-hour ban on campaigning and broadcast media coverage of the election, lifted only when the final polling stations closed at 8 p.m. on Sunday. What they did not find were details of the “massive” hacking attack on the Macron campaign that was announced late Friday night.
In the interim, the hacking operation drew attention on social media, where no such ban exists. That was especially the case in the United States, where the attack echoed the hacking of the Democratic National Committee last year, and where far-right American activists joined together to spread extremist messages beyond the United States. The hacking occurred just before the start of a 44-hour ban on campaigning and broadcast media coverage of the election, lifted only when the final polling stations closed on Sunday night, and some Macron supporters initially feared that his inability to respond could be devastating on the eve of a hard-fought campaign.
News of the hacking lit up social media, especially in the United States, where the attack echoed one on the Democratic National Committee last year, and where far-right activists have joined together to spread extremist messages in Europe.
But in France, the leak did not get much traction. It certainly didn’t appear to give an edge to Ms. Le Pen, who won 33.9 percent to Mr. Macron’s 66.1 percent on Sunday. The hacking operation was met, instead, with silence, disdain and even scorn.But in France, the leak did not get much traction. It certainly didn’t appear to give an edge to Ms. Le Pen, who won 33.9 percent to Mr. Macron’s 66.1 percent on Sunday. The hacking operation was met, instead, with silence, disdain and even scorn.
Why?Why?
For one, the French broadcasters respected the legal requirement of a blackout on campaign news. The documents also landed at the 11th hour, without time for journalists to scrutinize them properly before the ban went into effect. For one, French news outlets respected the blackout. The documents had landed at the 11th hour, without time for journalists to scrutinize them properly before the ban went into effect.
Second, newspapers heeded an admonition by the government’s campaign regulatory body not to publish false news. Second, the news media heeded an admonition by the government’s campaign regulatory body not to publish false news.
There was yet another important factor. France does not have a mainstay of the American and British media landscape: a thriving tabloid culture and right-wing broadcaster. But there was yet another crucial factor — France does not have a mainstay of the American and British media landscape: a thriving tabloid culture and right-wing broadcaster.
“We don’t have a Fox News in France,” said Johan Hufnagel, managing editor of the leftist daily Libération. “There’s no broadcaster with a wide audience and personalities who build this up and try to use it for their own agendas.”“We don’t have a Fox News in France,” said Johan Hufnagel, managing editor of the leftist daily Libération. “There’s no broadcaster with a wide audience and personalities who build this up and try to use it for their own agendas.”
Mr. Hufnagel said that Libération would take time to evaluate and verify the leaked documents before writing articles about them. In Saturday’s edition, Libération traced how news of the hacked documents had spread across the internet.Mr. Hufnagel said that Libération would take time to evaluate and verify the leaked documents before writing articles about them. In Saturday’s edition, Libération traced how news of the hacked documents had spread across the internet.
Even after the blackout ended Sunday night, the French news media had little to no information about the leaked documents. Most reported only that the French authorities had opened an investigation into the hacking. But after the blackout ended on Sunday night, the French news media reported little to no information about the leaked documents. Most said only that the French authorities had opened an investigation into the hacking.
On Saturday, Le Monde, France’s leading daily, said the documents appeared to include email correspondence with members of Mr. Macron’s campaign. That reticence stretched across the landscape of newspapers here, regardless of political leaning — including Le Monde, France’s leading daily, which generally takes a center-left stance, and the conservative daily Le Figaro. Several weekly newsmagazines — the conservative Le Point, the centrist L’Express and the left-leaning L’Obs — also held back.
On Monday, the conservative daily Le Figaro did not have an article about the leaks, nor did the weekly newsmagazines Le Point, L’Express or L’Obs. The Macron campaign has said little about the hacking and leaks beyond a statement late Friday night — just minutes before the blackout began — describing the operation as “massive and coordinated” and an effort to destabilize French democracy.
The Macron campaign has said little about the attack, beyond the statement it issued late Friday night — just minutes before the blackout began — describing the operation as “massive and coordinated” and an effort to destabilize French democracy.
For now, it appears the attack turned up mostly mundane documents. Although the coverage has hardly been comprehensive, no real smoking guns have been uncovered.For now, it appears the attack turned up mostly mundane documents. Although the coverage has hardly been comprehensive, no real smoking guns have been uncovered.
“The good news is that there was an attempt at destabilization that didn’t work,” said Céline Pigalle, the top editor at BFM-TV, a private broadcaster. “The elements weren’t strong enough. But what would have happened if they had been?”“The good news is that there was an attempt at destabilization that didn’t work,” said Céline Pigalle, the top editor at BFM-TV, a private broadcaster. “The elements weren’t strong enough. But what would have happened if they had been?”
Ms. Pigalle said the late-breaking document dump provided a reason to revise the news blackout law. It was created to give citizens time to reflect before voting, but in the era of social media, it gives anyone with a Twitter account an edge over France’s respected news outlets.Ms. Pigalle said the late-breaking document dump provided a reason to revise the news blackout law. It was created to give citizens time to reflect before voting, but in the era of social media, it gives anyone with a Twitter account an edge over France’s respected news outlets.
“It denies the world as it exists today, when social media don’t stop,” she said. “What happens now is that we’ll dive into the hacking and the documents at the same time.”“It denies the world as it exists today, when social media don’t stop,” she said. “What happens now is that we’ll dive into the hacking and the documents at the same time.”
The National Front, Ms. Le Pen’s party, has a vexed relationship with the mainstream news media, which it has at once scorned and used.The National Front, Ms. Le Pen’s party, has a vexed relationship with the mainstream news media, which it has at once scorned and used.
Ms. Le Pen and her aides have at times floated conspiracy theories, asserting — without evidence — that Mr. Macron had an offshore bank account, for instance. But her campaign did not have enough time after news of the hacking became public to seize on any damaging findings.Ms. Le Pen and her aides have at times floated conspiracy theories, asserting — without evidence — that Mr. Macron had an offshore bank account, for instance. But her campaign did not have enough time after news of the hacking became public to seize on any damaging findings.
Just before the campaign blackout deadline, a senior National Front official, Florian Philippot, said on Twitter: “Will Macron leaks teach us things that investigative journalism deliberately killed? It’s shocking, this shipwreck of democracy.”Just before the campaign blackout deadline, a senior National Front official, Florian Philippot, said on Twitter: “Will Macron leaks teach us things that investigative journalism deliberately killed? It’s shocking, this shipwreck of democracy.”
But his message came across as a last-minute act of desperation. On a popular morning radio show on France Inter on Monday, the journalist Léa Salamé asked a National Front official, Nicolas Ray, about Mr. Philippot’s post on Twitter. Mr. Ray said that the methods used to diffuse the Macron campaign documents might be questionable, but that it was important to discover their contents. The conversation ended there. But his message came across as a last-minute act of desperation. On a popular morning radio show on France Inter on Monday, the journalist Léa Salamé asked a National Front official, Nicolas Bay, about Mr. Philippot’s post on Twitter. Mr. Bay said that the methods used to diffuse the Macron campaign documents might be questionable, but that it was important to discover their contents. The conversation ended there.
The National Front does not have the equivalent of a Bill O’Reilly or a Sean Hannity, the right-wing commentators who helped shore up Donald J. Trump’s presidential bid. While French commentators such as Éric Zemmour, a regular on radio and television who has a column in Le Figaro, have fed into a sense of decline and insecurity that the National Front tried to capitalize on politically, neither he nor other so-called neo-reactionary commentators endorsed the far-right party.The National Front does not have the equivalent of a Bill O’Reilly or a Sean Hannity, the right-wing commentators who helped shore up Donald J. Trump’s presidential bid. While French commentators such as Éric Zemmour, a regular on radio and television who has a column in Le Figaro, have fed into a sense of decline and insecurity that the National Front tried to capitalize on politically, neither he nor other so-called neo-reactionary commentators endorsed the far-right party.
In the United States, reaction to the Macron leaks was more animated, and Hillary Clinton took to Twitter to comment. “Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can’t talk about that).”In the United States, reaction to the Macron leaks was more animated, and Hillary Clinton took to Twitter to comment. “Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can’t talk about that).”