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| HAVE WE GOT NEWS FOR YOU |
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| Thursday, 21 June 2007 | |
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Twenty years old, the paper now takes a bit of organising. A glimpse backstage of how ‘French News’ is made. As the late shift snatches at another ethnic take-away supper and opens a bottle of wine, while scanning pages and no-brainer-storming on titles, we realise it’s that time of the month again, the buzz feeling which anyone associated with the press is addicted to and dreads. At two am, we pack it in, hide the evidence (ashtrays and coffee stains) and try and get some sleep before press day. We know we now only have 10 hours left to assemble the 64 pages, bits of which are on seven computers, into four Quark Xpress files, complete with all the picture files, ready for PDFing (the participle PDFé also exists in FN-speak). Everyone knows it’s the bouclage – anyone could be asked to pull on the ropes or be sent on an unexpected, often absurd mission – like finding a last-minute quote or a photo of a tramp. Phone filtering is on red-alert. Only correspondents with stop-press copy or updates can get through to the editorial room. Somehow, it always does all come together in time – well usually with a few hours’ grace from our friends in the lab at Rotogaronne, our faithful printers since 1995, without whose support French News might well not still be here. Thanks to everyone who’s shared this voyage over the last two decades. The staff behind the scenes, pictured below, those who’ve been left ashore, including the two on rest and procreation – we await the results with interest – and, of course, the ever-growing France-wide flotilla of trusty local correspondents, most of whom are pictured this month with their column. Thankyou to all our advertisers and last but most of all, our readers for buying all those copies and helping the ship stay afloat. Some of you have become writers and friends. Please keeping sending your feedback, positive and not. The French News office in Périgueux is open space with low partitions so everyone can talk to everyone else, great for communication and bonding… and hear each other, which can be hard on the concentration when there’s a sales meeting or the occasional storm brews.  Adam Brown, the publisher, dreamer and lateral thinker, still hasn’t got his weekly yet. Despite dyslexia, he reads most of the French press daily (when he’s not harassing the bank manager) and listens to world news most of the night.  Miranda Neame, editor: very low boredom threshold, turns a deaf ear to the world when working. Swore she hated newspapers and would never touch a computer when she teamed up with Adam in 1995. She communes liberally with the rest of the editorial team by email, notably Robert Harneis, our staff journalist based in Strasbourg (pictured on page 12).  Rachel Millard, editor’s eyes and memory, writes, collates, subs and lays out copy and helps look after the various needs of more than 100 correspondents, both regular, seasonal and occasional.  Jean-Michel Vernon (Yann-Kaelig in Breton), walking encyclopedia, page setter, lays out pages, corrects everyone’s French and troubleshooter for our daily computer problems and, as staff rep, industrial relations.  Magali Limon, graphic designer, creates and churns out an endless stream of beautiful adverts and pages with endless inspiration.  Jérôme Brun, graphic designer and in charge of the website, is currently rebuilding the old 500-page beast from scratch.  Ève Rabastin quietly takes, translates and lays out some 400 small ads a month, delivering six finished pages.  Céline de Miras, the sexy voice when you phone in your display advert and interface between sales, production and editorial (via a hole in the wall).  Mickaël Hoareau is the nice guy in accounts, who looks after the clients, billing, reminding the forgetful, registering cheques.  Marie Roquet, the warrior in accounts, defender of the wage packet, is particularly adept at dealing with social security officials, TVA and all those hundreds of ghastly forms.  Philippe Chiquot, Philou to his friends, admin and accounts Man Friday, makes sure Marie gets the rare holiday, office clown.  Stéphanie Arnaud (Steff 1), Adam’s PA, is in serious need of a clone, in charge of distribution, printers, marketing, tidying Adam’s desk(s) and helping him find the reality of his ambitious plans.  Cathy Cailler, the warm welcome at the switchboard and in charge of subscriptions, never forgets a name or Adam’s dentist RVs.   The doughty sales force: Nadège Thiélens and Louise Buffière roam around the Grand Sud-Ouest from the offices, currently clocking up 6,000km each a month delivering our latest tourist guides.    David Wade attacks the UK from his phone and laptop in Cognac while Clémence Schilling zooms between homes in the Aveyron and Limousin and Angéla Gilles hunts all over Brittany from a rural paradise near Josselin. And finally,  Archer, security agent for French Newssince 1995. |
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