How the French media are trying to adapt to the coronavirus

Audio 19:31

By: Steven Jambot Follow | Simon Decreuze Follow | Philippe Couve

Philippe Couve, founder of Samsa.fr, a training organization specializing in the digital transition of organizations, tells how telework has become widespread in newsrooms in France and the daily challenges of the media to reinvent narrations during periods of confinement.

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Philippe Couve , creator of RFI's Media Workshop , is currently confined to Paris. Now at the head of Samsa.fr , a training and support organization for the digital transition of organizations, he recalls the "  extremely strong paradox  " of the current situation for the media, especially the press.

On the one hand, "  perhaps in the recent past we have never needed the media so much to know what is true and what is not. We can see that people are rushing to the media sites, listening to the radio, watching television, especially at the start of this crisis, in the chaos of diverse and contradictory information in which we could be  . He notes "  extremely positive signs  " such as "  very significant increases in sales of digital subscriptions  ".

On the other hand, advertising or diversification revenues have literally collapsed, falling almost to zero. Also, many media are extremely weakened by this situation. Philippe Couve believes that "  some media will have a hard time coping with the crisis we are going through,  " recalling the situation of Paris Normandie, in liquidation. 

Among the very many good things observed in the French media in recent weeks, our guest cites the quality explanatory videos produced by Le Monde , the fake news decryption section of Julien Pain in the 20 hours newspaper of France 2, the system of social assistance set up by the daily Nice-Matin , the newspaper L'Équipe shows everything there is to tell even when the sports competitions are stopped. In short, the situation is abundant.

And the training of journalists in all this?

If training was not a priority at the start of the crisis and the demand for distance training of teams was not really a trend, Philippe Couve notes that the situation is changing , by force of circumstances. 

The partial unemployment system implemented in France means that employees can be temporarily unemployed by the company, while retaining all or part of their salary. In this context, they can benefit from training supported by the State. And companies benefit. "  We often say this as a joke but the strongest way to make the digital transformation of the media is not the CEO, it is not the consultant, it is not the trainer: it is the Covid-19.  "

In any case, "  what we are experiencing at the moment also carries the seeds of what our labor organizations will be in the coming months, the next years  ".

Samsa.fr organizes free online workshops, one hour a week, for journalists and communicators. Information on Samsa's website .

Telecommuting in Madagascar, willy-nilly

At the end of the program, Mondoblog audio takes us to Madagascar, where containment measures have also been imposed and where telework has also developed willy-nilly. We listen to a reading from the Madagascan world blogger Rijaniaina Randrianomanana, from the Gasikara blog , nothing is moving .

Next week, we will receive economist Julia Cagé . Professor at Sciences Po Paris, she is particularly specialized in the media economy. We will discuss the economic situation, ownership and governance of the media in France. We will also ask ourselves questions about the media in what some already call the "next world".

Our selection on the coronavirus

• Listen to our daily chronicle  Coronavirus info

• The practical questions  :
→  What is known about the mode of contagion
→  disparities and inequalities in coronaviruses: what to remember
→  What outcomes for clinical trials?
→  A vaccine, the only solution to stem the pandemic?
→  How to make a mask and use it well

• Our series  : "  The response, country by country  "

• Each evening, find the State of the world and Africa facing the pandemic

• See also the files of RFI Savoirs on Covid-19:
→  Birth of a pandemic
→  Everyday life put to the test
→  The history of epidemics
→  Science facing Covid-19
→  Geopolitical consequences

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