Editorial charter, editorial line

B2 is an information tool designed and produced by journalists, according to journalistic principles and methods. Its ambition is to provide more detailed and complete information on geopolitical Europe, its “crisis” action, while preserving an independence of tone.

The heart of our editorial line

Political Europe can exist. It's not just a conviction. It is an observation of what is happening day to day. It will take time, questions, steps forward and back. But the movement is inevitable.

Europe also has a role to play in maintaining peace and/or strengthening the rule of law not only inside the Union but also outside it. She can't stay sealed off at home. It is not a question of practicing neocolonialism, but of participating in the making of a world that is safer and more respectful of democracy and the rights of everyone.

The right to criticism

To speak well of Europe, we must accept to trace its contours, successes as well as imperfections, flaws or failures, advantages and disadvantages. It's not about judging. It is a question of describing, of commenting if necessary, of not hesitating to point out what is wrong, but also of highlighting the successes. Being in favor of a European construction does not automatically mean observing a blissful optimism, ready to swallow any lure as long as there is a European flag on it. Nor is it about makingEurope bashing, just because there is the word "European" somewhere. It's about doing real European journalism. This requires a certain rigor.

The right to objective subjectivity...

To take the information at the source, it is to take the risk of errors. The work of journalism remains all in subjectivity and immediacy. Even if it is done as “scientifically” as possible. No one can claim the truth. But tracing “a” reality, at a given time, supplementing the information with other articles afterwards, makes it possible to trace this “reality” in the most objective way possible.

Deliberately French-speaking

B2 deliberately stays a site “in French ". Contrary to the “commercial” logic which would have liked B2 to be in English (like most European sites), we persist in thinking that the language of Voltaire and Molière has as much meaning as that of Shakespeare. Language is part of culture. And in diplomacy, it is also a part of thinking. The Cartesian vision it expresses has its virtues at the international level. Being European does not mean renouncing one's culture. On themes (geopolitics, strategy, European politics) where English is the usual language, this constantly requires the translation of texts (whose literary value is sometimes wavering). This is a handicap in terms of speed because nearly 90% of European sources are in English. But we intend to stay the course and participate in maintaining diversity and the Francophonie.

Open to others

Francophonie does not mean withdrawal into the hexagonal self. B2 takes care not to reflect only a French point of view stricto sensu but to take into account other points of view. We strive to take into account the different points of view of European countries, not only the largest (Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland), but also the "smallest". They all - the Belgian, the Lithuanian, the Hungarian, the Cypriot or the Luxembourger - have an interest and an undeniable logic. This confrontation is necessary to understand the European meaning.

Our own expertise

To gauge certain facts, certain positions, certain texts, we have, over the years, developed our own expertise. We draw from our article database to recall an important element. We have also developed our own databases, for example on matters of maritime piracy (EUNAVFOR database), Europeans fallen on the field of honor from missions (MEMORIAM database) as well as on EU peacekeeping operations (base PSDC). This allows us to have alternative data, more concrete and complete than official sources. And to offer our readers a serious decryption, more complete and independent than other sources. This data journalism is a guarantor of our autonomy.

The preservation of independence

In order to preserve the independence of the site in sensitive matters, B2 does not accept advertising or sponsorship of any kind and does not use subsidies "contracted" for a specific purpose (eg Google). We also grant ourselves the possibility of refusing any donation accompanied by specific conditions.

Editorial method

The editorial staff of B2 practices short circuit journalism, to reconcile the rules of transparency and professional rigour.

Direct stream. The principle is to go as close as possible to the direct source of the information, and not to repeat content that has already been published. B2's ambition is thus to produce autonomous content, in order to participate in the enrichment of information sources.

Sourcing. All information is sourced, cross-checked and evaluated. The source is indicated in a clear way (when it is official or authorized), in another way (in order to preserve the sources of information Off). We strictly respect the rules of confidentiality or anonymity requested by our interlocutors when they are not excessive (1).

Fact distinguished from the commentary. When B2 brings, on a set of raw elements, an addition of comments, analysis, this is expressly indicated (by a Nota Bene, by a note, a term "comments") allowing the reader to know who takes the pen. This does not prevent us from having our point of view, which can sometimes be very clear cut. This position is clearly marked as editorial. The gradation of the articles (news, analysis, verbatim, decryption, etc.) makes it possible to point out the importance of B2's contribution.

The conditions for conducting an interview are mentioned precisely (place, date, method, solo or in a group, in French or in another language). The notion of exclusivity is used with meticulousness. NB: We do not baptize “exclusive” what is in fact an interview with a dozen journalists.

Each article is signed by the editor(s), possibly by the proofreader, using the usual gradation. An article signed by two people means an equal contribution. The word “with” indicates the significant contribution of another journalist (either in the writing, or in the reporting of information). Single initials signify a more limited input from the journalist. If content is provided by a news agency, we mention it.

Articles can be updated, sometimes several times, with recent news items (less than 24 hours). In this case the update is indicated in the title (V2, V2 or Maj2, 3 for older versions). And a quick explanation is specified below the article (in gray).

The one or more original documents that inspired the article or are useful for its understanding are attached, as far as possible (unless expressly requested by the source), to the article, either in the original language or in the appropriate translation. They are repatriated on our site to avoid any subsequent break in the link.

La linguistic plurality. If the document in French is preferred, when the document is available in other languages, we try to offer at least the English or German translation (the two or three working languages ​​of the European Union). When a translated term may lead to confusion, the original term (English or German) is mentioned in parentheses.

Comments, corrections and right of reply

Comments

All comments are read, but they are not systematically published. It is even rare. This is a rule that B2 has set itself for both practical and editorial reasons. First of all, this site is not a discussion forum. Second, too many comments affect the clarity of the information. Finally, we do not have the means to moderate all comments. On the other hand, the commentary is used to direct us on unmarked paths, to open the mind, to rectify certain typos if necessary or to bring certain additions. The “in-house” policy is therefore rather to publish comments that have a didactic, educational interest because they bring an additional element or a different point of view to an article.

The anonymity of sources does not mean the absence of fair play

Comments that contain terms that are insulting either to the authors of the articles, or to other people who might feel hurt by the comments made, are not appropriate. Commenting does not mean blowing off steam by calling everyone a fool. Anonymous comments are also not published. A "nickname" box allows you to hide your identity, for people wishing to keep a certain discretion about their name or function. B2 evolves openly and not anonymously. We expect commentators the same fair play.

Right of reply or correction

When information deserves clarification or correction, this is provided, even if the article has already been published (if necessary with a specific mention). More formally, the right of reply can be exercised and granted insofar as it is legitimate and meets the criteria laid down by the profession and the law (law of July 29, 1881 and decree of October 24, 2007). A "clarification", a "correction" or a "response" can simply be made in the "comment" box and/or by email.

Illegal content

If you wish to report the presence of illegal content (within the meaning of 10° of article 1 of decree no. 2009-1340 of October 29, 2009), this can be done by a message in comment or by any means below.

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Posted September 28, 2010, updated November 28, 2017 and April 25, 2018

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