French journalists 'demoralised and muzzled'

The dismissal of Paris Match editor, Alain Genestar, for publishing a picture of interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy's wife with another man, is not an isolated case of malign political influence over the French press. According to writer Ghislaine Ottenheimer, investigative journalists have become "demoralized or muzzled" by fighting lengthy and expensive legal cases instituted by politicians who seek to keep their activities secret. She points to the example of a case brought by the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin who is suing four journalists for "defamation of a government member." (Via spiegel.de)