Primer of French Journalism

HEINRICH VON KLEIST

Introduction
§1
In general, journalism is the sincere and impartial art of reporting to the
people what is happening in the world. It is an entirely private matter, and all the
aims of the government, whatever they might be, are irrelevant to it. If people
read French newspapers attentively, they soon see that these publications have
been written according to principles that are entirely their own, forming a system
that can be termed French journalism. We would like to explicate the design of this
system, just as it might perhaps be found in the secret archive in Paris.

Explanation
§2
French journalism is the art of convincing the people of whatever the govern-
ment considers good.

§3
It is purely the business of the government, and all interference on the part
of private individuals, up to and including the posting of confidential letters
regarding current affairs, is forbidden.

§4
Its purpose is to support and secure the government, regardless of any
change in conditions; and despite any temporary allurements, to force the spirit of
the people into the government’s yoke in silent subservience.

The Two Highest Principles

§5
What the people don’t know won’t agitate them.

§6
What you tell the people three times they consider to be true.

OCTOBER 160, Spring 2017, pp. 131–136. © 2017 October Magazine, Ltd. and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
132 OCTOBER

Remark
§7
These principles could also be called Talleyrand’s principles. Because even if
they were not invented by him, any more than mathematical principles were
invented by Euclid, Talleyrand is, nevertheless, the first person to employ them in
a specific, consequent system.

Assignment
§8
To draw a connection between newspapers that (1) distort everything that
takes place in the world and, at the same time, (2) enjoy a great deal of trust.

A Proposition to Help with the Solution

To tell the truth means, above all, to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Solution
Design two publications, one of which never lies; the other, however, tells the
truth. Ergo: the solution.

Proof
Since the one publication never lies, but the other always tells the truth, the
second condition is fulfilled. Since, however, the former says nothing about the
truth, and the latter adds things that are false, everyone will admit that the first
condition is also fulfilled, quod erat demonstrandum [which was to be proved].

Explanation
§9
The newspaper that never lies, yet now and again omits what is true, is called
the Moniteur and is an official publication; the other, which tells the truth but
occasionally adds things that are a pack of lies, is called the Journal de l’Empire or
also the Journal de Paris, and is published by a private firm.1

1. Le Moniteur was founded in 1789 to relate events of the French Revolution and, after 1799, it
became the main propaganda organ of Napoleon, who often contributed to it and had a close grip on
its redaction. Journal de l’Empire is the new title, imposed by Napoleon, of the Journal des Débats, also
founded in 1789, whose initial purpose was the publication of the debates at the Assemblée Nationale.
Napoleon had to remind the journal several times to follow his directives if it did not want to be closed
down. Founded before the Revolution, in 1777, Journal de Paris was the first French daily newspaper.
Not initially devoted to political events, it became increasingly so during and after the Revolution.—Ed.
Primer of French Journalism 133

Classification of Journalism
§10
French journalism is divided into the doctrine of the dissemination of (1)
true and (2) false news. Each form of news requires its own mode of dissemination,
which we will examine here.

Chapter 1
Regarding True News

Article 1
Regarding Good News

Proposition
§11
The work is a testament to its master [Das Werk lobt seinen Meister].

Proof
The proof for this proposition is clear per se. It lies in the Sun, particularly
when it rises; in the Egyptian pyramids; in Saint Peter’s in Rome; in a Madonna by
Raphael; and in many other glorious works of gods and humans.

Remark
§12
Really and truly, one would think that this proposition could not be found in
French journalism. Whoever has read the newspapers attentively, however, must
confess that it is indeed found in them. For this reason, and as a favor to the sys-
tem, we have had to make note of it here.

Corollary
§13
In the meantime, this proposition is still absolutely valid only for the
Moniteur, and even here it is valid only in the case of good news of extraordinary
and decisive value. In the case of good news of secondary value, the Moniteur can
be a small testament to the work; the Journal de l’Empire and the Journal de Paris, on
the other hand, can blow the trumpet with puffed-out cheeks.

Assignment
§14
To present the people with good news?
134 OCTOBER

Solution
For example, if the enemy has suffered a complete and total defeat, losing
cannons, ammunition, and baggage in the process, and has been dispersed into
the swamps, then just report the facts, period (§11). If it was merely a skirmish that
did not amount to much, then let the Moniteur multiply every figure by ten, the
Journal de l’Empire by a thousand, and ship their newspapers by courier out to the
whole world (§13).

Remark
§15
In this case, one does not necessarily have to lie. For example, one need only
list the wounded found on the battlefield as prisoners. In this way two categories
would be created and the conscience saved.

Article 2
Regarding Bad News

Proposition
§16
Time gained, everything gained [Zeit gewonnen, alles gewonnen].

Remark
§17
This proposition is so clear that, like the principles, it requires no proof,
such that the emperor of the French has adopted it as one of his maxims. In the
natural order, it leads to the art of hiding news from the people, a phenomenon
that we propose to examine.

Corollary
§18
In the meantime, this proposition is still absolutely valid only for the Journal
de l’Empire and the Journal de Paris; even for these it is valid only for news of the
dangerous and desperate sort. The Moniteur can sincerely confess news that is bad
but still bearable; the Journal de l’Empire and the Journal de Paris, however, act as if
nothing much has happened.

Assignment
§19
To hide a piece of bad news from the people.

Solution
The solution is simple. Within the country itself there must be complete
Primer of French Journalism 135

silence in all newspapers, mute as a fish. Confiscation of all correspondence that

refers to it; detention of travelers; a ban on speaking about it in smoking parlors
[Tabagien] and taverns; regarding foreign countries, the confiscation of newspa-
pers that dare to report on it; the arrest, deportation, and execution by firing
squad of editors; the employment of new resources in this matter: everything
either indirectly through requisitioning or directly through military service.

Remark
§20
As is evident, this solution is one that is merely conditional; sooner or later,
the truth will be revealed. If the credibility of the newspapers is not to be called
into question or destroyed, there must necessarily be an art of presenting the peo-
ple with bad news. What is the basis for this art?

Proposition
§21
The devil looks after his own [Der Teufel läßt keinen Schelmen im Stich].

Remark
§22
This proposition is also so clear that it would only become confusing if one
tried to prove it. Therefore, we will spend no more time with it but will immediate-
ly proceed to its application.

Assignment
§23
To present the people with a piece of bad news?

Solution
Say nothing about it (§5) until conditions have changed (§16). Meanwhile,
entertain the people with good news; either with true good news from the past, or
perhaps with present-day news, if there is any available: for example, the battle of
Marengo, the embassy of the Shah of Persia, or the arrival of Levantine coffee;2
lacking such news, feed the people a pack of lies. As soon as conditions have
changed, which is inevitable (§21), and some sort of advantage, great or small, has

2. The Battle of Marengo (June 14, 1800) was an important victory of Napoleon’s forces against
the Austrian army, which strengthened both his political power in France and his increasing control of
the military; he would become emperor four years later. Napoleon concluded an alliance with the Shah
of Persia in 1807 (it lasted only until 1809).—Ed.
136 OCTOBER

been gained, let a pompous proclamation be made announcing it; then simply slip
the bad news in at the end of the announcement, quod erat demonstrandum.

Remark
§24
Another proposition is actually contained herein: If you show the child a light, it
won’t cry [Wenn man dem Kinde ein Licht zeigt, so weint es nicht]. The method we have
examined in §23 is partially based upon this proposition. It was only for the sake of
brevity, and because the proposition is so clearly self-evident, that we did not want
to introduce it in an abstract manner.

Corollary
§25
To remain utterly silent, as the solution requires, is impossible in many cases.
The date of a bulletin when, for example, a battle has been lost and the general
headquarters has retreated already betrays this fact. In this case one must either
pre-date the bulletin or claim a printing error in the date; or finally, entirely omit the
date. Then the typesetter or proofreader will be blamed.

—Translated from the German by Allan Paddle