Des envoyés spéciaux aux grands reporters, 1920-1930 : la reconnaissance d'une profession
Institution:
Paris, EHESSDisciplines:
Directors:
Abstract EN:
The twenties were a watershed between two ages for french journalists. The nature of their profession slowly changed; it becam more varied and better structured. Up to wwi, reporters were still regarded as minor men of letters, little thought of and underpaid. When they had to leave newspaper offices and become war correspondents, the innovators among them took it upon themselves to show the world to their readers. The interview, ever more frequently resorted to, also gave a foretaste of the prominent role they wanted to play as links between the general public and political, cultural or social personalities. As a consequence of trauma caused by the 1914-1918 massacre, new mental habits led press tycoons to increase the proportion of information collected abroad and journalists, now in contact with their opposite numbers who had different backgrounds, became aware of the situation of their profession ignored in the bill on the freedom of the press passed on july 29th, 1881. The national union of journalists eventually succeedet in having the profession recognised as such by the law of march 29th, 1935. This major recognition, however, was not the only feature of that period. As they could now avail themselves of better travelling facilities and new means of communication, special correspondents, in their journeys to the different parts of france and abroad, sent sets of articles which gradually superseded the serial novel in boosting up the sales of nationwide dailies. The best articles achieved an even greater circulation by publication in book form in series set up for this purpose. Thus the ides of long articles on topical subjects ("grand reportage") spread thanks to men like albert londres, edouard helsey, henri beraud, andree viollis, etc.
Abstract FR:
Les annees 1920-1930 se situent a la lisiere de deux epoques pour les journalistes francais. Progressivement la profession change de caractere, se diversifie et se structure. Jusqu'a la grande guerre, ceux qui la pratiquent sont toujours percus comme des sous-hommes de lettres, meprises et sous-payes. Conduits a sortir des salles de redaction pour assurer la correspondance de guerre, les plus intrepides entreprennent de faire decouvrir le monde a leurs contemporains. Dans le meme temps, le recours de plus en plus frequent a l'interview annonce la place preponderante qu'ils souhaitent occuper entre grand public et personnalites de la vie politique, culturelle ou sociale. Consequence du traumatisme cause par la sanglante tuerie, l'evolution des mentalites conduit les entrepreneurs de presse a multiplier les informations collectees a l'etranger et les journalistes qui cotoient des confreres issus de traditions differentes, prennent conscience de la situation dans laquelle se trouve une profession ignoree par la loi sur la liberte de la presse promulguee le 29 juillet 1881. Les efforts du syndicat national des journalistes finiront par faire admettre la specificite d'une profession qui sera reconnue comme telle par la loi du 29 mars 1935. Mais la periode ne se limite pas a cette identification majeure. Beneficiant des progres des moyens de transport comme des nouvelles techniques de communication, les envoyes speciaux ramenent de leurs deplacements, dans les departements et au-dela des frontieres, des enquetes qui, peu a peu, viennent supplanter le roman-feuilleton en tant qu'argument de promotion des quotidiens de grande information. Les plus reussies d'entre elles connaissent alors une nouvelle diffusion car les editeurs n'hesitent pas a les accueillir dans des collections creees a cet usage. Ainsi se popularise la notion de grand reportage servit par des personnages comme albert londres, edouard helsey, henri beraud, andree viollis et quelques-autres.