[Les Clés – RTBF]

Épisode : "#médias : Comment le journalisme de guerre évolue-t-il ?"

Date : 2 avril 2026
Durée : env. 30 minutes

Overview: Main Theme and Purpose

In this episode, the team at "Les Clés" investigates how war journalism is evolving in the face of mounting obstacles—closed conflict zones, propaganda, and technological transformation. With new wars increasingly fought away from media eyes and traditional field reporting becoming more dangerous or even impossible, journalists are compelled to combine on-the-ground investigation with new "remote" methods, such as satellite imagery and data analysis. The episode features reporters Maureen Mercier (RTBF correspondent in Ukraine), Christophe Lamfalussi (veteran war journalist), and Ambroise Carton (data & satellite imagery specialist, RTBF "Décrypte" cell).

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Challenge: Documenting "Invisible" Wars

[00:18–01:11]

• Wars are increasingly fought behind closed doors—foreign journalists are denied access (e.g., Gaza, Sudan), and atrocities go undocumented.
• Technological means (satellite imagery, data) help compensate for the lack of reporters on the ground, but cannot replace the "human element" of field reporting.

Quote:
"Des images qui compensent, qui complètent, mais qui ne remplacent pas le travail de terrain malgré tout."
— Host (possibly Sarah Poussey), [00:56]

2. The Essential Role of Ground Reporting

[03:01–05:59]

• Maureen Mercier describes the irreplaceable value of on-the-ground journalism: daily presence allows deeper understanding and more authentic storytelling.
• Even within Ukraine, access is restricted (20% occupied territories); efforts to report from the Russian-controlled side are continuously rebuffed.
• Endurance, resilience, and personal sacrifice are crucial—reporters risk their well-being to "owe the real story to the public."

Quote:
"Une guerre c’est compliqué. Si on n’est pas sur place, on ne la comprend pas... Être ici quasiment chaque jour qui passe, c’est tout ce que je mets comme plus-value." – Maureen Mercier [03:18]

3. Satellite Imagery & Data Journalism: New Tools, New Limits

[05:59–07:47, 13:03–15:56]

• Satellite images allow journalists to detect battlefield changes (building construction, infrastructure, cemetaries) and the scale of occupation or destruction—e.g., Reuters/AFP confirmed Russian infrastructure in Mariupol via before/after scenes.
• Ambroise Carton explains using European Copernicus satellites (free, lower res) versus private American companies (Planet, Maxar) who provide higher-resolution images, sometimes withholding them for strategic or commercial reasons.
• Journalists remain acutely aware that each data source has its own bias, agenda, or potential for manipulation.

Quote:
"On peut faire des time-lapses, des vidéos en accéléré où on voit l’évolution... c’est vraiment une approche très précieuse pour nous quand on ne peut pas aller sur place." – Ambroise Carton [14:39]

4. The Growing Issue of Disinformation

[08:14–09:28, 11:20–12:05, 16:41–18:29]

• Lamfalussi recounts earlier wars where journalists had better (though not always safe) access—Bosnia, for example, allowed crossing lines with proper accreditation.
• Disinformation and conspiracy theories are not new, but have exploded via social networks and the ubiquity of digital technology.
• AI can further muddy the waters by generating fake satellite images; journalists use digital forensic tools but maintaining verification standards is laborious.

Quote:
"Les théories complotistes sont diffusées à grande échelle par les réseaux sociaux qui sont parfois complices... Les algorithmes manifestement amplifient les fake news." – Christophe Lamfalussi [11:20]

5. Security and Ethics: Fieldwork Precautions & Distance

[19:16–22:05]

• Building a strong local network (fixers, contacts, trust) is crucial, as is physical and digital security (use of "dumb phones" to avoid surveillance, being careful with communications).
• Journalists must avoid being manipulated by either side, maintaining both a human connection and critical detachment.

Quote:
"La plus importante pour moi c’est d’avoir... quelqu’un sur place en qui je peux avoir presque une totale confiance." – Christophe Lamfalussi [19:16]

6. The Irreplaceable Human Factor

[22:31–24:32, 24:48–25:55, 26:40–28:02]

• On-site journalism brings "human stories"—everyday life under war, resilience, dignity, the details only perceptible in situ.
• Both field reporting and data/satellite analysis are complementary; one provides immediate, large-scale context ("big picture"), the other, irreplaceable granular reality.

Quote:
"Remettre l’humain au cœur du reportage... c’est là qu’on peut recueillir des éléments nouveaux, des témoignages, des choses vues." – Christophe Lamfalussi [22:31]

• Journalists must manage emotional balance: maintain enough distance to avoid empathy fatigue or bias, but not become numb or cynical.
• Engagement is necessary, but militantism (advocacy at the expense of facts) is a professional pitfall to avoid.

Quote:
"Il faut cette distance. Il faut être capable à la fois d’écouter le message... mais il y a des moments où on dit, ça suffit." – Christophe Lamfalussi [26:40]

7. The "Overview Effect": Emotional Power of Seeing from Afar

[29:04–30:40]

• Even remote tools (satellite images, wide data) can move journalists emotionally; the beauty and tragedy of Earth from space, reminiscent of the "overview effect" recounted by astronauts, creates a paradoxical sense of both distance and responsibility.

Quote:
"La Terre est belle et c’est vraiment le paradoxe... elle est belle vue de loin, et en même temps il peut s’y passer des choses terribles." – Ambroise Carton [29:47]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Speaker | Notable Quote / Moment | |-----------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:56 | Host | « Des images qui compensent, qui complètent, mais qui ne remplacent pas le travail de terrain malgré tout. » | | 03:18 | Maureen Mercier | « Être ici quasiment chaque jour qui passe, c’est tout ce que je mets comme plus-value. » | | 09:31 | Christophe Lamfalussi | « La presse était respectée, pour autant qu’elle était accréditée. » | | 11:20 | Christophe Lamfalussi | « Les théories complotistes sont diffusées à grande échelle… les algorithmes manifestement amplifient les fake news. » | | 13:25 | Ambroise Carton | « On a utilisé des données gratuites… Copernicus… et des données radar qu’on a utilisées parce que même s’il y a une couverture nuageuse… » | | 14:39 | Ambroise Carton | « C’est vraiment une approche très précieuse pour nous quand on ne peut pas aller sur place. » | | 19:16 | Christophe Lamfalussi | « La plus importante pour moi c’est d’avoir... quelqu’un sur place en qui je peux avoir presque une totale confiance. » | | 22:31 | Christophe Lamfalussi | « Remettre l’humain au cœur du reportage… il faut pouvoir le raconter, il faut pouvoir le montrer. » | | 26:40 | Christophe Lamfalussi | « Il faut cette distance. Il faut être capable à la fois d’écouter le message… mais il y a des moments où on dit, ça suffit. » | | 29:47 | Ambroise Carton | « Elle est belle vue de très très loin… et en même temps il peut s’y passer des choses terribles. » |

Timeline of Important Segments

• [00:18–01:11] – Introduction: The problem of war zones with no journalists.
• [03:18] – Maureen Mercier on why "being there" matters.
• [07:47] – Christophe Lamfalussi’s perspective on access and restriction.
• [13:25–15:56] – Ambroise Carton: Satellite/data methods, advantages and limits.
• [16:41–18:29] – The risks of fake images & the importance of verification.
• [19:16–22:05] – Lamfalussi on building trust, security, and precautions.
• [22:31–24:32] – The irreplaceable human factor in journalism.
• [24:48–25:55] – Combining satellite/data analysis with fieldwork/emotion.
• [26:40–28:39] – Emotional resilience, engagement vs. activism.
• [29:47–30:40] – The overview effect—the emotional paradox of satellite imagery.

Conclusion: Synthesis & Takeaway

This episode makes clear that war journalism is at a crossroads: while emerging technologies and satellite data offer vital new methods for documenting conflicts, they cannot replace the investigative rigor, nuanced understanding, and human connection of field reporting. The future of war journalism lies in a hybrid model, combining both digital innovation and the deeply human act of bearing witness—so that even wars "without witnesses" do not remain invisible to the world.

Featured Guests

• Christophe Lamfalussi, grand reporter, author of "Zone rouge, un grand reporter face à l’enfer des guerres" (Éd. Racine)
• Maureen Mercier, RTBF Ukraine correspondent
• Ambroise Carton, journalist at RTBF "Décrypte" (data & fact-checking cell)

Summary prepared by an expert podcast summarizer, preserving the episode’s original perspectives and tone.