One year on from the events in a New York hotel that changed the course of French political history comes the fascinating story of how a journalist from a group of newspapers for children came to leave most media struggling to reach the starting block.
François Dufour may have a Twitter name that suggests a liking for dodgy 1980s bands, and he may even have a dodgy taste in golfing partners (he'll understand that reference). But he is both good company and an excellent source of wit and wisdom on matters concerning the French press.
So I am delighted for him that his fast and resourceful response to Dominique Strauss-Kahn's arrest on sex charges has brought him a fair degree of acclaim. Dufour's book, DSK, 16 mai 2011, available online and view online purchasing (Amazon and fnac.com), recounts the extraordinary proceedings when DSK was hauled before a New York court for his first appearance a year ago tomorrow (the charges, of course, were later dropped though he now faces a civil action launched by his accuser).
Dufour, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Play Bac, which publishes the successful children's daily, Mon Quotidien, and its two stabelmates, also represents French interests at the World Association of Newspapers.
He was attending a conference on newspapers in NYC when he heard that the man considered most likely to displace Nicolas Sarkozy as president was under arrest. By the time the preliminary court hearing had been convened, Dufour was there to report it.
Over the next hour, he proceeded to send 70 tweets, minute-by-minute coverage that was so gratefully lapped up by French television and radio that he became something of a household name. Without those tweets, the French media would have been stuck largely with news wire reports. His renown may be about to spread as the book is available in English as well as French: buy it at this link if you wish,
Asked by Nice-Matin for his own view on the case, Dufour maintained the reporter's traditional neutrality: ''In my role as observer, I do not have one. I am content to present my exclusive interviews with the key players, including the judge (Melissa Jackson).
''My scoop of scoops is a photo of DSK's cell at Rikers Island (the grim jail where he was detained). No one else had it.''
And to a man who had previously made scant use of his Twitter account (with that @dufourdufour name), the experience was a revelation. ''It was the day when Twitter acted faster and therefore better than all other media. Other special memories of that day? The emotion of his entrance into the courtoom, an atmosphere you could have cut with a knife.''
A previous Dufour book was called Les journalistes français sont-ils si mauvais? Now that he has served in their ranks, as a jobbing reporter for a day, he may wish to revise the affirmative reply he gave to his own question.
French winners and losers Part Two:Vous avez le Qatar
Nous avons le gros lard ...See Salut! Sunderland on Montpellier vs PSG for the Ligue 1 title,
Recent Comments