Why France's complex election rules limit media coverage

France has complex election rules that limit each party’s airtime during campaign season and require a media blackout over election weekend. The theory is that they guarantee “fairness”, while limiting the risk of overexposure. However, it creates an odd situation where journalists have to avoid reporting on the biggest news story in the country at the moment it is unfolding. Ahead of the first round of legislative elections on Sunday, our international affairs editor Philip Turle explains the rules that impact French TV and radio, while newspapers and social media remain exempt.