"An idea for France", the "window of optimism" of the 13 hours of France 2

• On January 2, 2021, the

  1 p.m.

  news from France 2 unveiled its new column,

  An idea for France

  launched on the sidelines of Covid-19.

  Nearly two years later, she hasn't aged a bit.

• According to Valérie Heurtel, the journalist who embodies this meeting every Monday and Thursday by giving the reply to Julian Bugier, she would even have good days ahead of her.

  Because the “context [which] is not always very happy”.

• "I myself am very anxious by nature and I ward off this by looking for positive initiatives, it reassures", confides the journalist to

  20 Minutes

  .

A cuddly toy hospital, knitting grannies, ugly vegetable pickers or even cooking classes for the blind… All these ideas, sometimes unusual but above all supportive and unusual, are taken from the sequence

, presented for almost two years every Monday and Thursday by Valérie Heurtel on the

television news

on France 2.

Since Julian Bugier entrusted her with this sequence by taking over the controls of the information meeting in January 2021, the journalist has been traveling the roads of France in search of solidarity, ecological or even inclusive initiatives.

A real bi-weekly good mood parenthesis as the television news is invaded by bad news related to Covid-19, the war in Ukraine or even inflation.

“Great anxiety”, Valérie Heurtel tells

that she is reassured by the meetings that this meeting allows her and hopes to keep this “window of solutions”, which she considers inexhaustible, as long as possible.

Maintenance.

How was this column born almost two years ago?

It was born from the experience that we journalists had during confinement.

We fed newspapers that were quite anxiety-provoking and marked by deaths, uncertainties, worries… We often came across viewers who told us that it was scary and that they needed hope.

It fueled our desire to offer them a window of solutions, to tell ourselves that not everything is so bleak, there are plenty of people doing great things and we wanted to give them a voice.

This column has made you a kind of good fairy who brings good news in a news still very marked by crises despite the decrease in cases of Covid-19...

I'm the bearer of good news, it's a hell of a chance… Today I'm often stopped in the street by people who tell me: “It's a bubble of good humor, it makes our hearts feel better!

“I myself am very anxious by nature and I ward off that by looking for positive initiatives, it reassures.

Is this a sign that solidarity France is still alive?

Yes !

But to see it it is sometimes necessary to change the way we look at things.

The principle of this chronicle is that it approaches the problems through the solutions.

It goes all over the place, there are people everywhere who do things in France, we search, we look, we have correspondents in the regions who bring us initiatives.

Julian, who spurred the column when he arrived at the presentation of the JT, and I also watch the regional press a lot to see what is being done throughout France.

But you would also like your reports to be a source of inspiration…

The principle of

is to highlight things that can be reproduced, someone who does something in a territory that could work elsewhere.

Recently, we did a subject on volunteers who walk elderly people from Ehpads in scooters.

We have just received an email from a lady who tells us: “In my town, we have just bought a tricycle and we are going to do it, it is thanks to

 ”.

It's nice, we have the feeling of being used for something.

You have already shot about 180 reports for this sequence, do you think there is unlimited material in France?

I hope !

I want to think so because I have the feeling that around me there is an increasingly present awareness that we need to recycle, recreate links, help each other, find more ecological solutions... I notes that there are more and more initiatives.

The idea for France, it can come from anywhere, we could even consider looking for ideas outside France.

I think that abroad there are great initiatives that could also be imported here.

What we like is to discover that we are not that individualistic and that there are plenty of people who do things to make life more beautiful.

The context is not always very happy so we always need to warm our hearts.

This regular presence alongside Julian Bugier has also allowed you to create a sometimes crazy pair.

You are also not afraid to encourage him to test hats, glasses during your visits to 1 p.m....

I never force him to do anything, I promise (

).

The presentation of the newspaper is something very codified, we are alone in our little window.

And there, precisely it is an opportunity to get out of the codes while providing information.

Because

, these are not only jumping subjects, there is always substance.

How did this relationship come about?

We didn't know each other before.

We discovered each other two years ago at the same time that the chronicle was born.

We have a pleasure in this duet which goes beyond the five minutes that we share on set since Julian also has many ideas for

.

I think we both grew up in the provinces so we are interested in the same things, we really like to dig together, especially on subjects on the revitalization of villages.

On November 18, 2021, he had also hosted the debate program

Maybe… For my part the question did not arise.

When Julian did it, it was less on small initiatives than on big issues.

I tell myself why not, but I think it's important to plow this ground on a daily basis and that it's recurrent, twice a week.

It seems to me to be just as effective.

The important thing is to keep this window of optimism!

Television

Audiences, tone, reports… Lacarrau vs Bugier or the match of the “13 hours” of the week

Television

“Further investigation”: Forcing, social networks and B plans… The complex exercise of filling the red chair

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