France 3 strengthens its regional branches for its 2023 return

On August 23, 10 a.m., on the edge of an amusement park near Dinan, he carries the camera, she, her foot. Jean-Michel Piron and Myriam Thiébaut, journalists at the France 3 Bretagne editorial team, are filming a report on the vacation day offered by Secours populaire to families in Normandy. This topic will be broadcast in the traditional 19/20 , but also used, an hour later, to test a new formula for “regionalization of information” which should start on September 4. Among the people Myriam interviewed, Charlotte, a young mother, approves of the principle of a 2.0 newscast: “We talk too much about the war in Ukraine and not enough about events close to home which are good for morale. » In Rennes, the overhaul is underway. At the France 3 Bretagne headquarters, which is half under construction, the new director, Michel Dumoret from Brest, still has unfinished business but announces a clear line: “While the French shun the media but say they are 80% confident in the information from France 3, we want to give power back to the regions. »

From regional to international

The 24 antennas of the public channel will therefore offer Here 12/13, from 12:25 p.m. to 12:50 p.m., and a Here 19/20 twice as long as the old meeting, from 7:14 p.m. to 7:55 p.m.: 25 and 41 minutes of regional news, but also national and international thanks to the assistance of the Paris editorial staff.

“Unlike TF1, which is renowned for its local discovery topics, we want to follow the inhabitants in their daily lives and strengthen deciphering,” explains Michel. It is up to the editor-in-chief, Christine Vilvoisin, to orchestrate this program: “For example, we will deal with societal issues through our local prism, over four minutes, such as the megabasins in Morbihan. » The interpretation of such a score is a balancing act for the teams. In the afternoon, Myriam edits her report, but wonders: “Will we have the means to investigate on the ground, knowing that only a presenter and an assistant editor-in-chief have been recruited for the moment? » At the same time, the experienced deputy editor-in-chief Olivier Hue leads the meeting dedicated to the evening number zero, but questions this “new world” where the regional, the files, then the national/international bloc which must intervene at 7:45 p.m. to capture the attention of French people returning from work, before a final reminder of the main regional title. Should we continue the file on the popularity of treasure hunting and the fires in Greece? How to streamline the movements on the set of the presenter, Stéphanie Labrousse, who punctuate the edition? Should we end with “hot news” when the viewer is expecting a “ride”?

At 8:03 p.m., it’s the dress rehearsal. At the heart of the management, Olivier and the editor, Bruno Van Wassenhove. In front of them, the director and the scriptwriters. Behind, the technicians. All around, Michel, Christine and the rest of the team. Bruno is under tension, because Paris must send him a duplex from Moscow on crucial news, the death of Yevgueni Prigogine, the leader of the Wagner militia: “We are waiting for instructions. » Finally, the sequence, arriving at 8:21 p.m., will move to 8:43 p.m.

Time to take stock

At 8:55 p.m., the marathon completed, a debriefing begins. Christine: “We need to vary our formats for more rhythm! » Michel: “We could have connected the heatwave report in France to ours, more lively. » Olivier: “Playing lighter subjects at the end would allow us to breathe…” At 9:15 p.m., the old veteran runs off to have dinner with his family, blurting out: “There’s more to life than the news!” » because more antenna will also mean longer days. A reorganization that some journalists fear but which did not prevent them from getting to the bottom of the debates for this first attempt.

The moment of truth comes on September 4, at 7:14 p.m. Due to a large strike at France 3, led by the unions who deplore the elimination of national editions and “low cost” regionalization, the launch was done quietly, in fifteen minutes. The Breton promise was kept, with the start of a series on the new Ploërmel high school and a late live broadcast in front of the Carhaix hospital (Finistère). But no incursions elsewhere in France or abroad. A revolution in working methods has indeed taken place for employees. The public will have to watch for the big evening of the news.