Journalist Nella Bipat presents the program “Les Témoins d'Outre-mer”, broadcast at 8:40 am, on France 3. -

Eden TV / LTOM

  • Nella Bipat is the presenter of the program “Les Témoins d'Outre-mer” (LTOM), produced by Eden TV and France Télévisions and broadcast on France 3.

  • The broadcast of the program on a historic public service channel is part of the signing of the Overseas Visibility Pact.

  • After 13 years of career, the journalist from Guadeloupe welcomes the evolution of the representation of overseas in the media, even if "that does not mean that all is well".

Launched on the disappeared France Ô in 2016, the program

Les Témoins d'Outre-mer

(LTOM) has found a new home for a year on France 3. A successful migration for this daily news event [from Monday to Friday at 8:40 am] and participatory dedicated to overseas territories.

The program reinforces the regional grid of the channel, but above all falls within the framework of the overseas visibility pact on the national channels of France Télévisions.

New audiences to discover and seduce, new set, the coronavirus crisis and health constraints ... For her second season at the helm of the magazine, journalist and host Nella Bipat returns for

20 Minutes

to the importance of normalizing the voice of overseas territories in the French media.

You have presented

Les Témoins d'Outre-mer

 for two seasons, what is the specificity of this program?

It is a generalist program whose aim is to promote the heritage of overseas territories.

And now how do we get there?

Through portraits.

Each day we have a six minute streak around a successful person in the Overseas Territories.

It can be an expert, like the best cellar master in the world in Martinique.

We also deal with monuments, history, the great men and women of the overseas territories.

I have a column in which I explain a term from the vocabulary - who uses it and if it is used elsewhere - or a place name, whose root I explain.

We also have another column that promotes themes such as solidarity, youth because it is a fundamental challenge in the overseas territories, the economy as with the problem of access to water in Guyana, Guadeloupe. and in Mayotte.

The last aspect is the diaspora.

A portrait around one or an installed Ultramarine, which works in France.

This is

Les Témoins d'Outre-mer

.

We build bridges.

Do you know the definition of the word "anse?


If this word does not mean anything to you, @nella_bipat will be happy to explain it to you 😉


. # LTOM # France3 #connaissancedesoutremer #anse #explication #outremer pic.twitter.com/MCstDeKnn7

- Witnesses Overseas (@LTOMofficiel) September 24, 2020

Before, you were on France Ô, now on France 3. How are things going with this new audience?

It's not the same audience at all.

We are talking to people who are curious but who do not necessarily know the overseas territories.

France 3 has a very specific theme in the morning, that of the regions.

When we were on France Ô, the program was seen by seven times fewer people, and it was a voluntary step by people who went to 19 [the old channel of France Ô].

There, we reach a very different audience, curious people and those we call affinity [with common interests].

It completely changed the DNA of the show.

At the beginning,

Les Témoins d'Outre-mer

, it was a one-hour program with experts who spoke on very specific themes.

Today, it is focused on knowledge and discovery of overseas territories.

Our show is commented on on social networks, and we are not accused of taking pictures.

People identify with it.

I feel honored to present all of this.

Your program is participatory, with testimonials from overseas.

Did it matter to you?

Obviously.

I do this job for that.

I like to meet people.

Before, I presented 

Investigatiôns 

[documentary program broadcast on France Ô], and we went without a priori understanding a society, a situation.

We had hyper-harsh societal themes, with an overseas but also global scope.

Confinement has also changed the face of

 Overseas Witnesses

.

The show never stopped during this period.

I, who am used to being on set with the cameramen, the headset and all, found myself filming with my phone in my living room.

I never would have believed that.

It was first dictated by the obligation of confinement but it jostled me and brought me.

I hadn't gone up a camera stand since journalism school.

(

Laughs

) We saw that we could continue to promote the overseas territories in other ways.

We have a program that stays as close as possible to people and that adapts.

Do you also have a diverse panel of columnists?

Exactly.

We have, for example, the journalist and writer Daniel Picouly who is a great figure, who is a well of culture.

Each of our columnists has its activities, its key themes but is there to defend the causes of the Overseas.

There is also ultramarine gastronomy.

This year, we have four chefs: Louise Denisot, Yin-Line Chea, Brice Laurent Dubois and the renowned Suzy Palatin.

This also gave birth to the culinary magazine

Chef pays

, broadcast on all the La 1ère channels.

And we have correspondents in the nine territories.

In 2017, you won the International Press Grand Prize with

Investigatiôns

.

Is this proof of the wealth of the overseas territories?

I was very proud to have brought my touch to this show, but it is the result of teamwork.

The show was greeted with so many awards before I arrived at festivals, an Albert London.

It was used to know the overseas territories.

It was a 52-minute format, a medium you can't cheat on.

It's a year of work, so you always have to be on the lookout and take the pulse of these companies.

This award was recognition for all overseas.

And it was the opportunity for me to go to all the overseas territories when there were big issues like hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, the referendum in New Caledonia two years ago. , the general strike in Mayotte ... The program did a real groundwork and had a strong presence on the ground.

Besides, you were saddened by the disappearance of France Ô?

(

Laughs

) Frankly, I would like to know the Ultramarin which was not hurt by the end of France Ô.

We are unfortunately no longer in this dynamic, it is no longer the issue.

Today, what is at stake is the standardization of the visibility of overseas territories.

I have this chance, I am on a national media, I speak to all audiences.

Today it's not just my show.

When we look at France 3, we have two opportunities to learn about the heritage of overseas territories, but also the newspaper.

Was it normal that we had the only newspaper that stops on Fridays?

Well no.

So we changed that, it is broadcast every day now.

Is reaching seven times as many people an opportunity to make overseas known and discovered?

Yes.

Besides that, we have prime time evenings like

Décolonisations

on France 2 with Lucien Jean-Baptiste.

There are so many things to do, even if the anger is legitimate.

Now the lines are moving, it is up to us to remain vigilant.

It is in this sense that there is the Overseas Visibility Pact.

Standardization is the visibility of content and also of faces in the media.

The public service must have this priority, but not only him, we must tackle that in all the media.

It is a mechanism that must be systematized everywhere.

Is it difficult to make the voice of these territories heard in the French media?

There is a listening.

Today, I can say that there is a necessary reflex which, for the moment, is a little bit forced.

The goal is that we no longer ask the question.

I don't want people to think I'm looking forward to the end of France Ô, but that's no longer the question.

There are strong messages being sent.

We are still at the beginning.

We have the Outre-mer La 1ère portal.

Have you observed an evolution in the representations of overseas territories since the start of your career?

Yes !

You have Kareen Guiock every noon on M6, we have Harry Roselmack on TF1, Patrice Férus on TV5Monde and soon Karine Baste-Régis at

13h00

de France 2. It's beautiful, because they are competent people, who are present , which are in their place.

There have always been Ultramarins coming out of journalism school, there was Audrey Pulvar and Christine Kelly on public service.

Now did we all have opportunities?

What has changed today is that we have a converging beam in the content offered and in the faces.

There are plenty of people I admire who have had backgrounds in the media such as Fabrice Fabignon, Lucien Jean-Baptiste, Jean-Claude Barny, Luc Saint-Eloy… It doesn't mean that all is well, but there is had change.

What are your upcoming projects ?

I built my career with the desire to discover, both in animation and in the making of documentaries.

For now, I'm on the second season of 

Overseas Witnesses

.

I don't know where this will lead me, I live in the present moment ... But I want to continue to promote the cultures of Overseas.

Media

Diversity on television: There is still a long way to go for French channels

Television

France judgment Ô: What will be the impact on the representation of overseas territories?

  • Overseas

  • Television

  • Media

  • France 3