Etienne Klein on France Culture: the decision

The scientist Etienne Klein, producer of the show “La Conversation scientifique” on France Culture, has just been sanctioned by his university for plagiarism. Listeners ask us about its future on the channel:

I would have liked to know the position of France Culture regarding the procedure to cancel Etienne Klein’s doctorate, and the position of the channel on his show. As a scientist, I hope that you will make the decisions necessary to promote scientific and intellectual rigor.

​The management of France Culture will answer you:

Dear listeners,

We have taken note of your messages questioning the place of Etienne Klein, producer of the showThe Scientific Conversationwhich many of you listen to every week.

The management of France Culture pays close attention to copyright protection issues. This requirement is all the more crucial at a time when artificial intelligence is profoundly disrupting the ecosystem of knowledge, its production and its dissemination.

Given the recent elements brought to our attention, we have made the decision not to renewThe Scientific Conversation by Etienne Klein next school year.

However, we would like to salute his contribution to France Culture in terms of scientific popularization.

Thank you for your listening and your loyalty,

​The management of France Culture

I read in the press (Le Monde, Libération) that Étienne Klein was sanctioned by his university for plagiarism: withdrawal of his doctoral diploma, therefore of his HDR, and ban on re-registering for a thesis.
What about the science show he hosts, isn’t that ethically difficult?

I learned from the France Culture morning show (that is to say that the information must be accurate) that the university authorities had withdrawn the doctorate from Etienne Klein, a “great scientist”, for massive plagiarism, crowned with prestigious charges and responsibilities and showered with honorary rewards of all kinds! Prolific author of works. What a disastrous effect! I have always wondered why an eminent physicist and researcher, research director, member of renowned institutes, chose to abandon his profession to do radio. His show, initially focused on science, gradually shifted towards other areas (medicine, philosophy, societal facts and even literature…) which no longer have much to do with the original subject. May France Culture not give listeners the opportunity to cast doubt on the “knowledge elites” who are also those of “success”.

If I believe the media, Mr. Etienne Klein, who is a long-time voice of France Culture, has just been notified of the cancellation of his doctorate by the University of Paris Cité for reasons of clearly very proven plagiarism.
The faculties are up in arms against students who plagiarize and the cancellation of the doctorate is perfectly logical, especially since Mr. Klein is a spokesperson. We must salute the media courage and consistency of the Faculty on this point. “Inspire through exemplarity”.
What will be the position of France Culture regarding Mr. Klein’s continued presence on the air with regard to the scientific community, and students in particular? Not an easy decision to make, I wouldn’t like to be in your place and fortunately for the listeners, I’m not there!

What is in question is not the person of Etienne Klein, his popularity or that of his productions, but respect for science. Plagiarism is a major ethical violation. Impunity for plagiarism is a perverse incentive for poor quality production, where original work is discouraged. It is a disrespect for the original authors. Keeping a plagiarist on air is a disrespect for science, a message to the audience that its standards are optional.
And in this case, I also see a message indicating that there are two categories of people in France: those who must assume the consequences of their actions and a small number of others, who are never worried.
The outrageous and defamatory defense of science (“the doxa of the 90s” was to do as I did, in short) published by E. Klein adds to the scandal. Is this what France Culture endorses?
Thank you for reading my reaction as an ordinary scientist working at a university.

For several years, suspicions of plagiarism have been accumulating against Mr. Etienne Klein, producer of programs on France Culture. If I have always been surprised to see that these suspicions did not seem to call his presence on the air into question, I would find it difficult to understand why recent decisions regarding the quality of his productions were not followed by effects on the France Culture airwaves. We certainly have no shortage of very high quality journalists to produce cutting-edge programs on subjects relating to science, epistemology or philosophy… And many other programs on your channel prove this daily.

I read with dismay that Etienne Klein plagiarized his doctorate and has just been revoked. I hope that France Culture will no longer put it on the air because this type of behavior cannot be encouraged.

Is it really possible to keep Etienne Klein, a plagiarist, whose doctorate has just been invalidated, on the air?