In French, how do you say "fluff piece"?

Question

The term "fluff piece" usually refers to a news story that deals with a relatively unimportant topic, something light in tone, something considered extra.

This YouTube video happened to be one of the several clips that popped up as recommended, so I'm not quite familiar with the context of this discussion, but apparently, the interviewer seems to be asking him if he isn't just treating the documentary he made about suicide prevention as a fluff piece in the hope of boosting his favorability rating or something back up.

The only term that comes to mind is "un reportage bouche-trou", but I'm not sure. How do French speakers commonly express this idea?

Answer 1

Reportage/article bouche-trou is fine and would be understood.

cf. TLFi:

b) Article, fait divers, etc., gardé en réserve et que l'on utilise seulement pour combler un vide et compléter une page (cf. G. et H. Coston, L'A. B. C. du journ., 1952, p. 191 et 198).

We also have a specific term for that kind of news but restricted to the kind that appears periodically, usually every year roughly at the same date: un marronnier, in reference to the leaves of a horse-chestnut tree falling every year.

Answer 2

Usually we say "faits divers" ("miscellaneous"). Or with a more derogatory tone, the "rubrique des chiens écrasés" ("run-over dogs section").

Answer 3

Le français châtié utiliserait très précisément le terme de frivolité. Cf TLF, sens B.2. Ou encore de bagatelle. Cf TLF, sens B.

Maintenant, à ma connaissance, fluff est, dans ce sens précis, un terme plutôt argotique. Aussi, j'avoue ne pas savoir comment la rue rendrait ces deux termes de frivolité et de bagatelle aujourd'hui.