"Michèle Léridon Award for diversity in the media: applications now open
To honor her statement of case and continue Michèle Léridon's commitment to better representation of diversity in the media, AFP, Arcom and the association La Chance are launching the first edition of the "Michèle Léridon Prize". The competition is open to all students who attended La Chance in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but who have not yet graduated from a journalism school recognized by the profession.
Those wishing to take part in this competition must send a file to AFP, comprising :
- a curriculum vitae,
- a letter of motivation,
- a video presentation and three journalistic works (published or unpublished).
The finalists will be interviewed on May 16, 2022 by a panel of judges from AFP and Arcom. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on May 24, 2022.
The winner will be offered a three-month fixed-term contract at AFP, enabling him or her to discover one or more of the Agency's departments or offices. He or she will also receive 5,000 euros from Arcom.
Roch-Olivier MAISTRE, Chairman of Arcom: "We are delighted to be able to continue Michèle's commitment to greater diversity in the media. This award will continue her work by embodying the causes that have driven her throughout her career: access to reliable, quality information for all, equal opportunities, and the sharing of viewpoints and experiences."
Fabrice FRIES, Chairman and CEO of AFP: "AFP wants to make its newsroom more representative of the society it reports on. This prize will be one of the levers of this policy, in keeping with Michèle Léridon's commitments.
Marc EPSTEIN, President of La Chance: "An advocate of equal opportunities, a supporter of greater diversity among journalists and a loyal ally of La Chance, Michèle would have been moved and delighted to discover this Prize."
A graduate in economics and of the Centre de formation des journalistes (CFJ), Michèle Léridon had devoted her entire career to journalism, first in the print media and then at Agence France-Presse (AFP), which she joined in 1981 and where she held a number of positions. Deputy director of the Abidjan bureau, where she covered the conflicts in Liberia and Sierra Leone, assistant to the Europe-Africa editor-in-chief, head of the social news department and director of the Rome bureau, she became the agency's first female news director in 2014.
Michèle Léridon was appointed by the President of the French National Assembly to sit on the college of the French Superior Audiovisual Council (French Superior Audiovisual Council) in 2019. In charge of program ethics and political plurality, she had monitored several elections, including the 2019 European elections and the 2020 referendum in New Caledonia.
About Arcom
"Arcom is an independent public authority that guarantees freedom of communication. Its mission is to ensure that the public has access to a plurality of audiovisual supplies that respect rights and freedoms, to defend creation and to contribute to the fight agains unlawful and problematic content on the Internet".
Press contact: Sara Cheyrouze - 01 40 58 36 17
About La Chance
La Chance is an association whose aim is to contribute to greater social diversity in the media. It organizes and offers scholarship students preparation for journalism school entrance exams, and assists its beneficiaries in their professional integration. It also organizes media and information education initiatives.
Press contact: 06 77 18 66 78 - contact@lachance.media
About AFP
AFP is a global news agency, providing fast, comprehensive and verified coverage of current events and the issues that shape our daily lives. With an unrivalled network of journalists in 151 countries, AFP is also a world leader in digital investigation. Our 2,400 employees, of 100 different nationalities, cover the world in six languages, with a unique quality of multimedia production in video, text, photo and computer graphics.
Press contact: Boris Bachorz - 01 40 41 38 01- boris.bachorz@afp.com