It is January 7, 2025, ten years to the day after the attack which struck the editorial staff of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. It was January 7, 2015: a commando of two terrorists entered the newspaper’s editorial office and coldly killed several cartoonists including Cabu, Tignous, Wolinski, Charb, Honoré. The attack will leave twelve people dead and will cause shock waves in France and around the world. The slogan “ I am Charlie » will be displayed on signs and in demonstrations all over the planet. Ten years later, what remains of Charlie’s spirit? What future for press cartoons and caricatures? What future for Charlie Hebdo ? Gérard Biard, the editor-in-chief of Charlie Hebdoanswers RFI’s questions.
RFI: Hello, Gérard Biard. Ten years later, how are you?
Gérard Biard: If you want to know how we are doing, there is something that is very simple, it is simply to buy the newspaper every week. You will see how the editorial staff is doing, how we are doing ourselves and how we view our society.
Ten years later, I imagine that it may still be difficult to mourn. How do you manage it?
Ten years later, I would say that it is a little inevitable, because it is the anniversary date, it is the symbolic date. Everyone says to themselves: “ Oh yes. It’s true, that happened that day. » For us, the people who were murdered on January 7, 2015, they are still with us, we still carry them within us. Somewhere, they are also still present in the pages of the newspaper. They are also the ones we try to bring to life and continue to bring to life every week when we write this journal.
In an interview with World A few days ago, Riss said that maybe he and others at Charlie sometimes felt alone when there were trials against Charlie. Is this your feeling too? Ten years later, do you feel alone?
We would indeed like people, sometimes from our own political family, to support us more or simply support us, instead of putting targets on our backs. But generally speaking, we have subscribers, we have people who write to us every week, we have loyal readers. Most people who write to us say how important Charlie is to them. It makes us happy. We are not going to say the opposite.
We are conducting this interview in your press officer’s office, not at Charlie Hebdo. It’s still not possible, because you still receive threats?
I tend to say that everyone gets them every day. You just have to be on social networks to receive threats and sometimes even death threats. So yes, we always receive threats anyway. But we also want to ensure that the writing of Charlie Hebdo remains a sanctuary.
What about press cartoons? Ten years later, do you think that certain newspapers, ourselves, have perhaps regressed on this precise point?
Yes, that’s for sure. There are fewer and fewer newspapers publishing press cartoons. THE New York Times has decided to cease all publication of press cartoons, whatever they may be, whether political or simply societal. Because drawing, press cartoons, satire, caricature, they are a pain in the ass. This potentially means controversies, so obviously, the editorial management of the New York Times prefers to have peace and be quiet. She doesn’t want any trouble. In fact, it’s annoying when we claim to defend democracy and freedom of expression in a country which, I think, will need it in the next four years. Press cartoons and caricatures are an essential tool for the practice of journalism and the press. This is what allows us to take what Gébé called a side step, to also show what is hidden behind the speeches, what is hidden behind a character, what is hidden behind a social fact. What we can’t or don’t want to show or see. It’s true that it’s a difficult tool to use, because it requires a lot of work, it requires a lot of thinking, it requires a lot of intelligence. You don’t do a press cartoon like that. We don’t put it like that on paper, it’s not true, it doesn’t exist. It’s work, but it’s essential work if we want to do a complete, honest work of journalism and a work of reflection that a text will not necessarily or much more difficultly offer, including the most brilliant of texts. ‘analysis.
Are there things that you refuse to do, say, write or draw ten years later?
To begin with, there is what the law allows. The law on freedom of the press, the law of 1881, is quite clear. And it is valid for all citizens and it is the law of the press. So there you have it, there is what there is, what exists in the press law, on insult, defamation, racism, anti-Semitism. And then, everyone has their own limits. As for me, there are subjects that I will not cover. I forbid myself, for example, from talking about someone’s private life as long as they have not made it public themselves, or as long as it does not concern something that concerns everyone. the company.
And does your grating, vagrant humor still have a future in your eyes?
Oh, I think so. There is no reason. Besides, we are not the only ones to use and make use of this type of humor.
You spoke, at the very beginning, of the new generation, perhaps both journalists and cartoonists who joined the newspaper Charlie Hebdo. What new do they bring? Do they help move the journal forward? If yes, in which direction?
Yes, because they have already forced us to do educational work and to explain to them what Charlie. Because everyone has their own idea of what Charlie. We also have to tell them, explain to them and tell them: there you go, this diary is that too. It has a story, it doesn’t come from nowhere. It wasn’t founded by just anyone, by someone who said to themselves one day: hey, I’m going to write a newspaper to get a dancer. It is an independent newspaper, totally independent, which is backed by no press group, which has no external shareholders, which does not depend on advertising. We don’t have any advertising in Charlie. So, it’s a newspaper that lives off its readers, its readership. It’s something quite rare, very rare even. So you have to tell them all this.
Is that what you tell them when you arrive?
They are told: “ Read the old ones Charlie. » We take out the old issues and tell them: “ Look at the newspaper you work for now. » Because this is also what they will have to transmit themselves in the future that they embody. Because the future of Charlieit’s not Riss, it’s not me, it’s them.
It is also up to them to perpetuate the memory, perhaps, of the elders who fell on January 7, 2015?
Yes, but not only those who fell on January 7, 2015. It is the memory of all those who Charlie. By doing Charliewe also perpetuate the memory of Cavanna, who is one of the creators with Choron. We perpetuate the memory of Gébé. We perpetuate the memory of Reiser, of Fournier, of all these people who made Charlie what he was and still is. So, that’s also what we need to convey. January 7, 2015 is obviously a fundamental date in the history of the newspaper, but we should not stop there. We always come back to it, unfortunately. There, today, we are an editorial staff of between 30 and 40 people who collaborate with many young cartoonists and young journalists. And designers too, for that matter. So, they are also the ones who will do the Charlie Hebdothe one in ten years already. That’s what we’re tending towards, that’s what we’re thinking about and that’s what we’re heading towards, I hope. It’s towards the future.