They are three second-year students at EDJ Nice. Anne-Lise Tricoche, Manon François, and Sylvie Ferreira flew to Gabon to carry out a humanitarian mission as part of their supervised project. Here is the continuation of their experience.
The Gabonese daily, L’Union, has existed for forty years. Founded in 1973 by President Omar Bongo, known in Gabon as the Father of the Nation, the newspaper is the only local daily.
“Welcome to L’Union!” exclaims Jonas Ossombey with enthusiasm, a former political journalist who recently became the coach of the Gabonese government’s spokesperson. The building, all glass, with the name of the newspaper written large and in red on the facade, seems new. However, the daily has existed for many years and does not weaken, despite a difficult economic and political context in the country. Reception is opposite the entrance door, and the documentation room is on the right, where the burgundy archive books testify to the professionalism of the newspaper. Everything is organized, everything is in its place.
A Family Story
Maxime Serge Mihindou, head of the economic pages, shares his professional journey: economics studies in Canada and writing articles for the campus newspaper, he returned to Gabon after being refused admission to a famous Quebec daily, Le Soleil. His father was at the helm of the first issue of L’Union. So it’s a family story, a real return to roots. Passionate about his profession, he shares his vision of journalism: “Journalism is scientific writing. Forget the beautiful phrases. Remember this: each sentence, one piece of information. You have to hook the reader.“
A Front-Page Affair
Right at noon, the editorial conference begins. Around the table, about ten journalists are present. Each is in their department, and the round of topics can begin. Ideas abound. The layout takes shape quickly, then comes the famous Ngambia affair. The same one that made the front page of the day. The Ngambia affair is a real financial scandal in which Minister Magloire Ngambia is involved. Before the Special Criminal Court (CCS), he will have to address the charges against him: embezzlement between 2009 and 2015. The scheduled trial did not take place. Why? Everyone wonders. The debate is launched. Each journalist has a very specific opinion on the matter. An inset will therefore be planned in the next day’s newspaper to understand the ins and outs. Stay tuned…
An Organized Chaos
The miscellaneous news section gives way, and the layout continues. The editorial secretary keeps writing down the proposed topics in a slight hubbub. Scribbles and page exchanges between journalists quickly clutter the sheet of the layout. “We absolutely must put the dead fish found in Moanda* lakes on the front page,” exclaims the journalist in charge of the “environment” page. Today, environmental issues are crucial in Africa. Especially in Gabon, a country that must rely on its natural resources to hope to one day reach the level of development it deserves.
*Moanda: a mining town in Gabon located in the Haut-Ogooué province.
Anne-Lise Tricoche
