A French news outlet says it cannot publish an article it had expected to receive about France’s military spending plan—because the source material it was given contained no reporting, only a cookie-management page.
In a note to readers, the newsroom at La Voix de France said the transmitted “source content” did not include the anticipated article about France’s multi-year military programming law, known as the LPM, and its headline figure of €436 billion (about $471 billion).
No usable reporting provided, newsroom says
“The source content transmitted does not contain the expected article on the 436 billion euros of the French military budget, but a cookie management page. No usable fact, figure or quote can be drawn from it,” the outlet wrote in a bolded statement.
Outlet says it won’t fill gaps with invented details
La Voix de France said it was “not in a position to publish this article as is,” adding that the provided source “contains no journalistic data on the French military budget or on the LPM.”
“In accordance with editorial rules, no fact will be invented to complete missing content,” the outlet wrote.
