A French eye on the world

  France's new global television news network takes to the air and internet in two weeks time. France 24, as it is called, was ordered into existence by Jacques Chirac in the acrimonious run-up to the Iraq war in early 2003. The president was frustrated by what he saw as the single-sided view of the world purveyed by CNN, the BBC and the other "Anglo-Saxon" networks. France, he decreed, must be a player in "the visual war" for the world's opinion. 

I spent the afternoon visiting France 24 in their brand new premises at Issy-les-Moulineaux, just south of central Paris, and I was impressed by the enthusiasm of the multinational staff there. The average age of the 170 journalists is 31.

The English motto over the entrance spells out the network's mission. "Everything you are not supposed to know". 

That was deemed too cheeky ("un peu trash", they told me), so they are going to replace it with the milder version: "Beyond The News". But the message stands. France 24 is aiming to offer a Gallic alternative to a global news narrative that, in French eyes, is shaped mainly by CNN International of Atlanta and Britain's BBC World (Fox and Sky are aimed more at domestic audiences)

To reach the maximum audience in a field that was joined last week by Al-Jazeera English, France has put aside its usual linguistic qualms. The "French Eye on World News" will broadcast full-time in English as well as French and, soon, in Arabic and later in Spanish.

The Issy headquarters feature a very high-tech operation in which English-speaking and French presenters are already busy delivering dry-run bulletins standing at robot sets at each end of a big bright newsroom.

Mark Owen, a senior presenter who joined in September from Britain's ITV, is excited about delivering French-flavoured news.  "The BBC and CNN are fine. But having been through the English system, I think we tend to look inwards rather than outwards," said Owen.  "We're always looking for angles. That means we gear things more towards the home audience."

Owen cited the Israel-Hezbollah conflict last summer, in which French TV focused on Lebanese suffering from Israeli attacks. "Chirac called for a ceasefire from the start," said Owen. "That was never reported to an English audience. It was only after it became apparent that a mess was going on that it emerged that this was something France had been demanding for 30 days."

France 24's difference from the "unified Anglo-Saxon" view of the world means that it will focus on what its masters call "diversity". This does not just mean giving the other side of Iraq and stories where the Americans dictate the news agenda. It also means covering events that are usually off the Anglo-American radar, in places such as former French colonies in west and north Africa. France will be reported like any other country but there will be an emphasis on the French art de vivre, or lifestyle.

The France 24 people are adamant that their outfit will not be a state mouthpiece. The Elysée Palace is not giving the orders, any more than the British Government decides the news on the BBC, they say. Chirac's "CNN à la française" was put together -- with some difficulty -- as a joint venture between TF1, the big independent network, and France Televisions, the state broadcaster. The project is receiving 80 million euros a year state subsidy. This has drawn fire as a waste  but the channel's  executives say that it fills a vacuum because France has no world TV news network.

The veterans in charge of the news are aware that the network's future hangs on credibility. Jean Lesieur, an old hand who is in charge of features and talk shows, said: "I don't know anyone here whose language is not the language of journalism. It would be stupid to let anyone accuse us of being dependent on the government. We would lose right away."

Jean-Yves Bonsergent, Chief Operating Officer, said that France 24 would be as free of government interference as the tax-funded BBC. BBC World is admirable but it gives a British flavour, ponts out Bonsergent. France 24 will give a French take -- un regard français --  on the news.   "We will offer diversity and the notion of debate and opposition, the idea that not everyone agrees with everything. We also look at the world through a more cultural perspective." 

But he made clear that the game was about power and influence.  "The war of pictures is a real war. Look at Al-Jazeera and you understand immediately the power of images," he said. "France is a major diplomatic power so it is important that it has a voice that is heard."

The field is getting crowded, with English-language TV news from Chinese, Russian, Arab, Japanese, Latin American and German governments and companies. France 24 is drawing on the resources of the two biggest French domestic networks, but its scale and budget is still limited beside the big guys, especially CNN. Its 80 million euros is tiny in comparison with the funding of the American giant,  a commercial operation with a budget in the hundreds of millions of euros. 

Comments

[Jess]

"We will offer diversity and the notion of debate and opposition, the idea that not everyone agrees with everything"

Love the notion that the BBC peddles a Blairite, 'liberal', free-trade anglo-saxon line. What a hoot. Er, which BBC have they been watching these last few years?

[Peter Mason]

As most satellite news service access in the UK is via 'bundled' packages from satellite/cable providers it'll be interesting to see if this is readily available in the UK.

It's also interesting to note that in France [and elswhere?] the Beeb is seen as peddling a pro "anglo-saxon"/British line whereas many in Britain view it as pro-European/Arabic/whomever and anti-British. Possibly being able to compare it with a 'Gallic' alternative will give a different perspective to British perceptions of the Beeb. Mind you I have noticed a marked difference in the way the same stories are reported by the domestic BBC services compared to the World Service so I wonder if we'll get the same flavour of news as the French domestic market?

[Frank Schnittger]

The selection of which news items to feature, and the angle to take on them is always an editorial decision made with an eye to the intended audience and the editorial policies of the broadcaster. It has taken France a long time to realise that power comes not just from military capability, economic performance, or diplomatic skills. It comes from setting the agenda.

How else could Bush and Cheney have achieved the remarkable feat of persuading a majority of the American people (at the time) that Iraq was responsible for 9/11, and that the invasion was necessary to prevent further attacks on America? And do we really expect commercial broadcasters, any more than state ones, to bite the hand that feeds them in terms of Broadcasting licences, news sources, and advertising revenues?

But the critical issue will be how much broadcasting coverage the new network achieves. There isn’t much point in creating an international channel if it cannot be received in the US, throughout Europe, and much of the rest of the world. Mr Bremner is right – the market is getting very crowded. Soon every nation will be trying to project its images to as wide an audience as possible.

Competition for market and mind share will be fierce, with networks vying for more up to the minute coverage, and controversial angles to generate publicity and debate. No major event will be safe from a plethora of satellite broadcasting units – and much of the news will be stage managed as never before. Having a variety of view points and news angles is no bad thing. The danger is that all will become like clones trying to attract the same audience. You will be able to see the same news item on 50 channels and still be none the wiser.

So France 24 has to find itself a unique raison d’etre, and just being French isn’t going to be enough. If CNN and BBC World have a problem, it is that you cannot watch them for much more than and hour without hearing the same news recycled ad nauseam. Perhaps a more in depth approach would yield dividends. But the French also seem to have a predilection for “talking heads” and philosophical debates which do not transpose well to an International TV audience – particularly where not all are familiar with the particular vocabulary beloved of the French and satirised by Charles in a previous post.

So the challenge is to make it snappy, bright, visual, and not demeaning to the intelligence of the viewer – so that existing CNN viewers genuinely see a reason for switching. Otherwise you are just preaching to the already converted.

[colin grayson]

presumably this will be broadcast on satellite ; question is , which ?

if it is on a french one , no one will see it anyway except the french !!!; did they not give you details , charles ? they must surely have booked a slot for n.america ; and the bundling of channels on british satellite is not correct , most channels are free to air

as regards to internet , the plethora of sites suggests that it will be ignored most of the time

[Michel R, Paris]

Here is a very useful blog monitoring France 24 : france24.wordpress.com.

You'll find every information you need: the satellites from which it will broadcast, the agenda, the first images : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crbKWgy8p2I , etc.

"How else could Bush and Cheney have achieved the remarkable feat of persuading a majority of the American people (at the time) that Iraq was responsible for 9/11, and that the invasion was necessary to prevent further attacks on America?"

Their views fell on fertile soil, the post 911-America behaving like an enraged wounded animal in a corner seeing danger everywhere ...

[Craig McGinty]

It is set to be available on the basic Sky package, not sure about any cable services.

Must agree the France 24 blog mentioned is worth following to keep up with the latest on the station's development.

[christopher muir]

Well, I"ve just watched the "France 24" promotion clip.
Thanks, Michel R for guiding me there. It's a frenetic presentation powered along by fast editing and a "hurry along" sound track. I hope that these couple of bustling minutes don't signal an editorial leaning towards the snappy superficial. How one will find time to watch this service along with all the other internet offerings is beyond me. Nevertheless, let's hope it succeeds.

[Michel R, Paris]

You're welcome Christopher. There is another video on YouTube, which is a bit less frenetic :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RcoSH3o_Mg&watch_response

Interestingly, they will keep calling it "France Vingt-Quatre" even in English. Here is for France's surrendered "linguistic qualms"...

[john gregory Flinn]

I think this is great news, and look forward to watching it - where will it be, Canal Plus satellite, Freeview or where?
It should be a refreshing change to see and hear the French take on the news, free from the stifling political correctness of the BBC. No doubt it will have its own PC but at least it will be free of the maddening multicultural manipulation, which M. Bonsergent might have in mind when he coyly refers to the (BBC's) 'British flavour'.

I would like to cavil at the average age you quote, of 31. That means they will not remember the background to the first war in Iraq, nor the Iran-Iraq war nor France's role in the development of the EU, and Britain's entry, nor the IRA terrorist cmapaign, nor that of the Basques... I hope you see my point.

The young multinational staff will have to refer to that dreary Western collection of 'Received Wisdoms' for their background information which simply toe the line and offer no independent view – just like John Pilger's Soviet joke. Where Taboos, alternate views, e.g., those of the far-right, and certain events, such as the almost total boycott of reporting black on white racist attacks in the UK, are ignored, parodied or simply deliberately manipulated to distort the truth.

I would endorse Frank Schnittger's point "that all will become like clones trying to attract the same audience. You will be able to see the same news item on 50 channels and still be none the wiser."
Perhaps the best illustration of this is the repetitive and scant Euro-News broadcasts. It's not all bad, but it's a model to avoid.

[Robert Marchenoir]

France 24 claims to be driven by high journalistic standards. Let us take that on face value and wait for the results.

But the real question is this: will they achieve a much, much higher standard of reporting and investigation than present French television, be it private or public?

Otherwise, the whole thing will just be a futile exercise in promoting the French brand.

And, just to add the obligatory sarcastic note, one has to wonder whether the "French lifestyle" the new channel aims to reflect will include such unmistakably French traits as transport strikes happening with the regularity of a Swiss clock, the horrendous waste of public funds, the unaccountability of all-powerful trade unions overwhelmingly funded with public money, etc.

Or whether unsuspecting foreigners will be fed a diet of delicious farm cheese, picturesque villages, great wines, lovely countryside, gorgeous and freewheeling girls, and sleek, super-fast trains (assumed there are not on strike).

Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course.

[M. Fernandez]

It will be like "Waiting for Godot" 24 hours a day. When no one watches, will they claim it's because they are intellectually superior to the audience (in that case they really will be like the BBC)? More interesting is what they won't cover: attacks on synagogues, astronomically high unemployment, no growth economy, the flight of enterprising French youth to Quebec, all of Chirac's corruption charges, etc. Since the French are incapable of looking at themselves and finding anything wanting, I predict a 24 hour anti-American, anti-Israel, anti-British rant with news of the anarchy in virtually all former French colonies on the hour and every 15 minutes. [Did someone really suggest that France is a diplomatic, military and/or economic power? Or was that sarcasm?]

[Robin Midwood]

Just a brief remark;I have been listening to France Culture on the radio and this reflects a very wide view of ALL topics and sometimes not only thoughtful but difficult to get it all into the "grey matter"Non political, We now exspect to VIEW images to form and aid our opinion.Personally the spoken word is helpful; listening to something not in your native tongue. I am tired of the bombardement of pictures. ( The BBC world services Radio has been my confort and you feel that it is the truth) OK could be so wrong!!!?.Must grow with the times.NB: "in lower case type"

[Xavier Martel]

It is a doomed project as it will bring nothing new to the existing networks. As for neutral news, I agree with Jess in a sense that the Beeb is not that peddling an anglo-saxon line. What is more, I am doubtful about the meaning of 'un regard français', 'a Gallic approach', 'the French exception', nothing positive, always the same boring stances and credentials. What we need is not raw information and shocking pictures whatever they come from but information the journalist will have really understood previously in order to deliver something objective and reliable the audiences can refer to, something the Beeb achieves pretty well in my opinion. As a French man, I sometimes have difficulties to understand the news given away by French media like TF1 network or even Le Monde newspaper or others. No French journalist is capable of clearly explaining the whereabouts of take the current conflict in Darfur or the recent France Clearstream scandal, I am not ashamed to confess I have to refer to the good old Beeb to be clearly explained.

[Frank Schnittger]

Are we not missing the point here? The idea of an international news channel is not to provide a better news service to those already living in France and with access to existing French channels.

The whole point is to compete with the likes of CNN and BBC World in the world outside France, and even outside the francophone world. The point is therefore to provide an alternative to the "war on terror" dominant paradigm of seeing almost all international politics.

The new channel should therefore hopefully appeal to all who have a problem with that paradigm, or who at least welcome the opportunity to see an alternative viewpoint. The new channel will succeed not if France based people like it, but if it eventually achieves viewer ship figures comparable to CNN etc.

Because it is a late entrant it may have more difficulties in achieving such wide distribution, and also needs to project a clear rationale as to why existing CNN/BBC viewers should switch to it. If it comes to be seen as simply a mouthpiece for the French Government it will have all the success of Pravda (international edition).

This is a difficult and long term project. Others have a very great head start. If it succeeds it will be seen as one of Chirac’s greater legacies. The likelihood, regrettably, is that it will be seen by the larger world as an interesting regional channel with some curiosity value and some good features on France if you are thinking of visiting there.

[Serge Uberti]

Are we not missing the point here? Why look for success only in opposition to nowadays dominant ideas? A new channel be it French should deliver a new complementary not necessarily alternative viewpoint. Why take for granted that a new channel because French will provide opposing viewpoints to the ones of the likes of CNN and BBC. It should not be the voice of an imaginary inconsistent World against Uncle Sam. And all the best if even the French people would then be provided with a better news service. As for regional curiosity values, they may bring added value to the channel.

[dada]

In one of the latest affaires about this highly altruist business that is selling weapons, BAE seems to cross some turbulences
in the domestic skies.
In fact , an inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office into a BIG contract with the saudi about kickbacks in exchange of good manners threaten the long and fruitfull relationship between britain and saudi arabia. It is reported that the contract ,not only beeing on the brink of collapse, could be picked up by the french.
this woud be so cruel, not only for the thousands of workers depending of these armsdeals, but that the french profit of it, would absolutely be a case of drinking the calice jusqu'a la lie.
of course the press, in his role as counterbalance to the executive and judicial powers, has taken the fight, and we can read, for exemple, the marvellous article of Peter Oborne, in defense of the national interest.
I would pick just two pieces from this article:
"The Muslim world is generally more comfortable with the practice of paying people who introduce business. That does not mean they are corrupt and open to bribes, simply that they have different values and practices that are as equally valid as our own."
And that "Failure (to understand this cultural relativism) amounts to the same 'moral imperialism' and arrogance which, according to the government minister Margaret Hodge, brought about the calamity of the Iraq War."

I would love to see a debate, french or english way, on that matter on the bbc or french24, or aljazeera.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/newscomment.html?in_page_id=1787&in_article_id=418513

[Michel R - Paris]

For those still interested, here are two new must-seen video clips from France 24:

Beyond the News Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFpACM05InM

Beyond the News Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8Ruf_VK5AY