« PreviousAllez-y, graffitez / go and graffiti | Home | Can you feel the love this week-end?Next »


September 9, 2004
e-mail de Bagdad / an e-mail from Baghdad

Toujours pas de nouvelles de nos collègues pigistes radio français, détenus en Irak alors que des manifestations de soutien se déroulent toujours en France. Nicolas Hénin, le correspondant de Radio France à Bagdad (ci-contre) nous parlait récemment de son quotidien de journaliste sur la liste Spartacus (un groupe de correspondants pigistes radio que j'ai lancé en 2000) et il m'autorise à publier un extrait de son dernier e-mail:

Still no news of our freelance colleagues and French radio journalists detained in Iraq, while demonstrations in their support keep rolling in France. Nicolas Hénin, Radio France's correspondent in Baghdad (it's him on the pic up there) was telling us recently about his daily life on the Spartacus list (an e-mail list for a group of francophone radio freelancers that I started in 2000). He's allowing me to reprint parts of his last e-mail:

"Le boulot à Bagdad est de moins en moins drôle, et la couverture médias de plus en plus nulle. C'est la conséquence directe de la raréfaction des journalistes sur le terrain, et du fait qu'ils sortent de moins en moins. Les télés françaises sont venues avec des équipes complètes, mais dans les faits, les rédacs font des cabines à Paris, et les spéciaux des stand-ups... pendant que caméramen, sondiers, monteurs, restent au bord de la piscine. Preuve de cette couverture qui s'effondre: la nuit dernière, vers minuit, un groupe de la guérilla a pris d'assaut un commissariat de police, ils ont vite fait fuir les flics, ils ont libéré les prisonniers, et ils ont foutu le feu. Ca c'est passé à 500 m du bureau de l'APF et l'info n'a été donnée par personne. Le résultat, c'est que la couverture de l'Irak se résume à peu près à ça tout le monde recrache de la dépêche, et les dépêches racontent de moins en moins."

"Working in Baghdad is less and less funny, and the media coverage is getting real bad. This is the direct consequence of the rarification of journalists going in the field, and of the fact that they get out less and less. French TV stations have come with full teams, but in fact staffers in Paris do voice-overs and parachuted correspondents do stand-ups... while cameramen, sound guys, editors stay by the pool. A piece of evidence on how this coverage is collapsing: last night, at around midnight, a group of guerillas took by storm a police station. They made the cops run away, freed the prisoners and set the place on fire. It happened 500 meters from the offices of Agence France Presse, but the information was published by no one. As a result, the coverage in Iraq can be summarized this way: everybody mulls agency dispatches, and dispatches tell less and less."

Nicolas reconnait que c'est spécialement dur pour les télés: avec une caméra, on est tout de suite repéré et souvent "pas pour le meilleur." Tous les pigistes de Spartacus lui tirent leur chapeau: Nicolas a énormément de courage. Les deux Italiennes enlevées cette semaine sont des amies. Si seulement il pouvait tenir un blog, voire un audioblog, pour raconter son expérience comme le correspondant télé américain Kevin Sites l'avait fait, grâce à l'indispensable Xeni! Nicolas dit que l'idée lui a trotté dans la tête mais ajoute "quand je fais des journées de 19 heures comme hier, je n'ai pas le loisir ni l'envie "surtout avec des connections internet aléatoires (euphémisme).. Il me faut parfois 5 minutes pour ouvrir une pauvre page de webmail." En attendant, de nombreux reportages de Nicolas sont disponibles sur le site de Radio France et aux dernières nouvelles, Radio France l'envoyait à Amman pour des raisons de sécurité.

Nicolas admits that reporting in the field is especially hard for television stations: with a camera. you're immediately spotted, which most often "doesn't lead to the best." All of Spartacus' freelancers say hat's off: Nicolas has tremendous courage. The two Italian women kidnapped this week are friends of his. If only he could write a blog, even an audioblog, to tell about his experience, like US TV correspondent Kevin Sites did thanks to the indispendable Xeni! Nicolas said that he thought about it, but adds: "when I work 19 hours a day like I did yesterday, I don't have the leisure and the will to do it... especially with unreliable internet connections (euphemism)... It takes me sometimes 5 good minutes to open a mere webmail page." In the meantime, many of Nicolas' reports are available on the Radio France website and the last I heard, RF was sending him to Amman for awhile, for security reasons.

Posted by Emmanuelle at September 9, 2004 11:56 AM
Comments


Salut Julien, si tu n'y vois pas d'inconvénient, j'ai changé ton adresse e-mail sinon tu vas te retrouver englouti de spam. En effet, les journaux français revendent eux-mêmes ton boulot, mais souvent 1. Ils ne revendent rien du tout car ils ne sont pas doués à cela 2. Ils te font signer un papier pour que tu cèdes tes droits. A ne jamais signer, ou à signer après avoir raturé ce qui ne te plait pas.

Mais ceci étant dit, rien ne t'empêche de revendre tes papiers à la presse canadienne francophone, suisse etc. On n'est jamais mieux servis que par soi-même. Si tu écris en anglais, le marché est effectivement beaucoup plus grand dans la presse anglophone et il existe des agences comme featurewell.com pour revendre des papiers bien léchés.

La syndication, c'est pour les chroniqueurs aguerris - les simples journalistes revendents soit eux-mêmes, soit via Featurewell.

Bravo pour la carte verte! Tu as bien fait de t'en occuper à la partir de la France. Si tu as d'autres questions...

Posted by: Emmanuelle at September 9, 2004 12:13 PM

The insurgents are running the show in Iraq but one doesn't get that picture from the broadcast media; browse through the international news pages of any major newspaper, however, and it becomes obvious. There are violent attacks on government institutions such as police stations on a daily basis.

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 12:19 PM

Featurewell? ça m'a l'air un bon plan. J'imagine qu'ils doivent prendre une "commission" histoire de dégager une marge. Le revendre par moi-même..Ok! Mais j'aurais un petit peu peur de me faire coincer par un rédacteur (ça m'est déjà arrivé avec un rédacteur Français..Mais on s'est expliqué par la suite!).

Concernant ma carte verte, ça a été un long process..Le plus dur a été de regrouper ts les papiers nécessaires. Mais ma femme et moi avions pris un avocat...Histoire d'être bien renseigné! L'interview à l'ambassade Américaine était ma plus grande appréhension.Mais bon! lorsque j'ai dit que j'étais journaliste, la personne qui m'interviewait a voulu voir mes articles en Anglais..Et bizarrement, l'affaire était pliée...Il m'a donné ma carte verte!!! And then it was time to celebrate!

Au fait, ça tombe bien que tu me parles de médias francophones..J'ai essayé de contacter des médias Canadiens (le devoir, la presse, le soleil), mais no answers..

D'ailleurs, j'ai vu que tu avais bossé pr "radio canada"..Collabores-tu tjs pour eux? Au quotidien, à quoi ressemble le job de correspondant pr une radio française ou francophone? Est-ce que tu interviens quotidiennement à l'antenne?

Tiens, j'ai eu des touches avec certains médias français pr bosser des Etats-Unis, dont "le nouvel économiste"..Je dois monter à Paris demain pour rencontrer le rédacteur en chef..pour bosser avec eux sur la réalisation de leur prochain supplément d'Octobre sur "les fusions et acquisitions transatlantiques"..Rien à voir avec les nouvelles technologies, mais ça vse rapproche davantage de ma formation initiale en gestion et finance internationale...Donc qq part..ça rentabilise mon diplôme!

cheers,

julien

Posted by: julien blin at September 9, 2004 1:36 PM

RSF: you're out of your mind, ugly and toxic. You've overstayed your welcome, dude.

The deluge of idiocy has been revealing enough. From now on, nutters will be banned, hateful messages erased. The Web is big enough for the weirdos to spread their slime elsewhere.

Posted by: Emmanuelle at September 9, 2004 2:12 PM

Just ignore the children, Emmanuelle, and they'll go away.

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 2:22 PM

Ah, you're a real big man "sickofthelies." Look how brave you are. You puke up your bile of hate and stupidity and aren't man enough to write your name or proudly show your face. Big man indeed. You don't have the courage to write your own name on your thoughts never mind serve as a soldier or reporter or photographer in combat. Your guts are hardly worth hating. You are too sad, useless and shameful.

Posted by: Jim Lowney at September 9, 2004 4:51 PM

That about says it all, Jim.

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 5:08 PM

Jim, so what? Geobbels signed his name and posed for photographs too. That doesn't make him any less cowardly or vile.
A few French fought the nazi's via underground activities. Does that make them cowards?
You're all mixed up.

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/28139.htm

In the meantime, where do you live, Jim?
What's your address, you brave man?

Deal with it.

Posted by: jimistolaughat at September 9, 2004 5:32 PM

Rodger, you used to write for Hustler, a well known magazine that mercilessly exploits uneducated women, read by truckers and prison inmates, and you go on to post here as some kind of moral authority?
You should be ashamed of yourself.

Posted by: Rodgersajoke at September 9, 2004 5:36 PM

Pot, meet kettle.

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 5:40 PM

At least those "uneducated women" made a better buck than flinging fries at Mickey D's. If you're trying to find a tender spot you're poking in the wrong area. My work history is no secret.

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 5:43 PM

ok, so "Jimistolaughat" posted a dumb and hateful comment earlier that I nixed. But he's coming back under a new irresistible name pointing to the same link,

http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/28139.htm

which is the only thing in his comment worth looking at, certainly (: AXIS OF BACKSTAB, a New York Post story about how "France, Russia and China supplied Saddam Hussein with missiles, arms, defense technology and spare parts before — and after — the start of the Iraq war". We all know that the NYP and the Washington Times, mentioned in the story are fiercly anti-French (which doesn't prevent me from being a New York Post subscriber and a Fox News viewer.) Instapundit and Little Green Football and all the usual suspects and other big blogs are weighting on this - I won't, and this is not the place. Now, adieu.

Posted by: Emmanuelle at September 9, 2004 6:04 PM

There's no pot and kettle business here. I don't barter in human flesh. Never have.
I know your work history is no secret, or I wouldn't have brought it up.
At least working at McDonald's is relatively decent and honest work, unlike posing for pictures only a gynocologist, or men who have twisted issues with women could love.
Have you ever stopped to consider why these poor women are being paid the amount they are paid?
Perhaps it's because MOST women not only have respect for themselves, are congitive that posing for those kinds of pictures absolutely undermines the aspiring role of women in this society, and don't want to have a scarlet letter on them for the rest of their lives that their grandchildren will inevitably be exposed to.
It is precisely the uneducated women from broken homes with no thought except immediate gain that Hustler generally exploits.
This means, despite the money, I sorely doubt you'll be seeing even Emmanuelle posing for "Hustler" regardless of the amount of the day's pay.
While Larry Flynt may be a charming guy, I think anyone who examines his documented history of drugs and neurotic, exploitive behavior will conclude that he's a wolf in a wheelchair.
Nobody leans on Larry Flynt anymore because he's a charming guy in a wheelchair. He knows this.
He knows how to manipulate people, and he knows the liberal camp is the direction to go for an easy ride.
Someday, you may learn, Rodger, that when the devil extends his hand in friendship or employment, it's best to keep your hands in your pocket, because it won't matter if you win the Nobel Prize in literature, you'll always be the guy who wrote for Hustler.
You can pretend you prefer never being mainstream, but I don't believe it.

Posted by: Rodgersajoke at September 9, 2004 6:17 PM

Emmaanuelle:
"other big blogs are weighting on this - I won't, and this is not the place. Now, adieu. "

Emmanuelle, seriously, why won't you weigh in on the subject? You weigh in on French reporters ducking ordinance exported from their own country, as well as the muslim fanatics who would kidnap memebers of your fraternity and hold a humilating death over them. Muslim fanatics who have allegedly benifited by your countries arms exports.
I cannot believe you refuse to remain silent, while calling other people cowards.
How does that make sense in your mind?

Posted by: Rodgeretc at September 9, 2004 6:26 PM

I am mainstream, dim wit

Posted by: Rodger Jacobs at September 9, 2004 6:26 PM

emmanuelle, change "refuse" to "choose"
thank you.

Posted by: Rodgeretc at September 9, 2004 6:27 PM

This is really neat! Bark bark bark bark! Like a dog! Maybe you can click this link too!

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/handshake300.jpg

No one is innocent, guy. Moral authority my ass.

Posted by: Ken B at September 9, 2004 6:57 PM

The difference, "Joke," and you should have figured it out yourself because it's not too hard to understand, is that I know a little bit more about French radio journalists being kidnapped (and the impact it has on the community, being a French radio journalist working for the SAME news outlets, having an email relationship with correspondents) than I know about the weapon trade. If I knew shit about it, had sources in ministries and at the FBI, this would be another story. Basically, I'm in favor of uninformed people who don't know shit about important matters like that to shut up or talk to their cat, and listen and read instead.

To RIJ, I'd love the attacks against Rodger to stop. ?y own 2 cents: I don't share your opinion on porn but I understand yours: I used to be very critical too. Then I did several stories on the porn business and realized that (I would say) 80% of these women chose porn willingly and it's their own idea to enter porn. I saw many enter agencies and ask for work and a chance to star in movies. They are already strippers for instance and want a name for themselves to make more money on the road. In Eastern Europe, you would come across very young girls being exploited by pimp boyfriends and the economical difference was just nauseating. This is a nauseating industry in many ways, but you also meet women who are financally independent for the first time and say they're happier doing this than serving burgers. This is not a black and white issue, unless you have strong principles or religious beliefs and you are convinced that porn is 100% bad.

Also, former Hustler writers can do very well: Evan Wright's book is critically acclaimed and he said that his past at Hustler helpd him bond with soldiers in Iraq.

http://www.emmanuelle.net/archives/000012.html

Apparently, Salman Rushdie wrote an essay around a theory:

http://www.nypost.com/business/19284.htm

"Rushdie's piece argues that pornography is particularly popular in Muslim countries because of sex segregation — and goes on to suggest that pornography can be the mark of a healthy society. "It sometimes becomes a kind of standard-bearer for freedom, even civilization," he writes.
That's interesting food for thought.

Posted by: Emmanuelle at September 9, 2004 7:03 PM

Rodger, maybe I wasn't clear.

Here's the scenario:

Spielberg: Normally, I don't read scripts thown over my fence, but this one is really great. Do you know this guy?

Assistant: Rodger Jacobs? Uh... yeah. He's... done some things. Stuff in turnaround. Nothing produced I don't think... and... uh... he wrote for uh... one of those... you know... girly magazines.

Spielberg: Oh. Which one? Playboy?

Assistant: Hustler.

Spielberg: D'oh!!

Assistant: Agreed, sir.

Posted by: giveituprodger at September 9, 2004 7:10 PM

Emmanuelle,
I tend to agree with you, however, what I'm wondering is if any of the reports are true regarding the French government sending ammunition to fight the Americans, would you be an advocate against this behavior, past and present?
Also, since you must be aware that Chirac was very friendly towards Saddam prior to the war, do you think, owing to the current situation with your french journalists, that in hindsight, consorting with Saddam was a grievous error?
And finally, your view on Hustler magazine notwithstanding, do you think that smooching the ass of evil (evil being defined as countries denying the basic human rights of minorities and women) is ever a good thing, aside from perhaps economic survival?

Posted by: Joke at September 9, 2004 7:26 PM

Wht the hell, spam me!

Posted by: anielsen at November 1, 2005 5:40 PM

salut Bagdad Cafe TV Show, TV emirat 12.29.2005les spectateurs et les jpurnanistes .5 WERB/UNG dans la catégorie Möbel Wohnen , Kochen Genießen , Küchenmesser ... Sie d’Al Manar.INTERPOL, d’Al Arabya Algeri8.5.1.PERSONNE NE PARDONNE ILS ONT CAMOUFLAGE AU DIALBE UNE VEILLE SUR MARSEILLE C'EST DES ESPIONS C EST UN APPEL LES TRACES POUR MES VETEMENTDS 1.5.8.Baghdadiy Arabie8.5.#..1.2.1986magrib jean claude
les resposables TV ne doivent pas pardonner les voleurs de camera cache et satelite.ils ont etudier le camouflage avec des fous.mon appele a Baghdad ca ne se pardonne pas de mon attache de5.5. 1986. imarat 5.1.2006. algerine toute les an,,née qui ont m'en souffrire en nom europ personne aissayer m'aider svp il ont monté a toiute les diable Etrangère sama1986 Africain2005 . 5.1.8.algerie de lafirmiter jean claude Bagdad8. 1/ an svp tout ce kiol ont cache sur l'islam mon appel au sabre de mon attache sattelite camera xcac hee un jury est blanc des traces des vetements meme au visage le nom gris et blanc a la salle kikboxing une information sur interpol police 2001il son t camoufke aiu diabke meme ds le1986debi .6.30.1989baghdad si1 tet3 image30.7.1989da
..alama1magrib.1986. Baghdadiy 1.8.5. 8Arabie5.watan
ÃÎÈÇÑ íæã ÇáÅËäíä 22 .. kasm1986 :1

1986.22.11..2005.8.1.5Algerien .photo-5.Baghdad8 Ç1.30.990zian et ampottampot7.8.19891986baghdad1 magrib alma tout ce .3.1986jean claude algeri que j'ai enregistré ne 1.28.1990personne d'ami de mon sport.jean claude van damme .1988. .jean claude

t.zianebatar depi1986l'equipe le 05 1997.2003.1986algerie et30.6. 21989.jean1988.claude 1.9.1989...1.8.5africa inalex ezt mustapha7.7.1991. scorpion desert.1claude.8..1986.jean claude 1.20.1990..en savais tous des portabil tigzirt tiziouzou algerie1988.jean. claude8.9.2005photo .envoyez moi une carte claude africa toutes les spectateurs et merci les journalistes et les spectateurs de tf1.merci infiniment et au standard de tf1 ainsi que7journalistes claire chazal en 2002..jean claude.1.9.2001.2003***.8.1.5 quand on repond de .jean claude de tigzirt rt repondez fil de ali 1986mais j'ai quittè le pere.marie divorcè a cause des cassettes qui ont mis le nom louise. uyahia.iancèe .merci infiniment et a une autre fois.25.9.2005TVE (Catalogne5 africana.jean claude elazayib tigzirt tiziouzou2003 5.1algerie8 polfavor mamos gars sin isanyora5lov 25.11.2005de5.1 8 ali lakil1907zadidifrihi idin jado din1947.11.1.1954. .dami zarao 1.29.1990lbenan jean claude .van dammeسوريا8.5.1986 تهاجم جنبلاط وتصفه بالمنافق الصغير1988.amar tigzirt1986.trois images ils ont montes le responsable africa s appelle jamais pardonner surtout a ma region mon,attache a l irak 27.11.2005surtt au desert avec dalf .ubnane toute l'argent saspadonpa.loalfa romeo1.2. 1990 mais des vloeurs je le dis et je doit le fllater en j'ai ma 6 emme sens dans ete a degre
45jour ecartement ou passage ou traine apres baghdad.histoire whiskey cigarettes c'etait un alcooliquec'etait des voleur ou j'ai fais mon oiso1.28.au desert.28.1.1990..6.8...1991.moustafa scorpion jean claude van damme ou yaz motazrd wisky1991 cigazrette histioure si qui dabns klaz garette mobn pied casse jai souffere piodza 1.28.1990colonel jean claude.van damme pizza les personnes cellules sur djelfa dans les rtuines.meme hopital ils m'ont aide avec dolf image et jean claude van dan 1.2.1986 jean claude . laoliya alma6.30.1989.-lam1988tabil deziym idikovri 1988pirson kamira kah k7de kiji 1.30.1990.1.5.8.david.1. journalistes 1.28.1990lebnan danved7.30.891986
8.5.1.arabi african5 le 3 noms c'est un soit zidane le nom les dane le nom bikame ils sont a ms droit les journalistes BERBER TV amar baghad 8.5.1 Press1 k Presse Etrangère lash a repondfu a niveau e tigzirt mes droit d'(oteu sa se pardonne pas jean claude . beckam7.30.1989.,zinedine sin1zidane5de8.8.1989 tiziouzou le nom c le nom dieu propre de mon respect et jean claude c la meme personne et ca me rappel.merci aux .le directeur interpoll j'ai fait une reclamation , toutes les cassetes k'ils ont vendus dans mon sport"full-c'etaien justice jestisis jean claude 1 28..1990african BERBER TV jean claude van damme tiziouzou algerinne5 1986. j'ai fais ma reclamation a la police internationa le derbnier poster la main en haut la sicatri dabns les portie mirsi firmiter 8.5.IDI1.merçi pour les responsable de k*la chaine entv et les journalistes personnes qui doit pardoner dans l'honneir de mon appel 1986 a Bagdad,1.8. 5.. le sabre1.1.2001. 5algeri8. 23 Decembre 5.8.1. 8 d’Al Manar, d’Al Arabya 12.26.2005Abstandshalter5/ WERBUNG dans la catégorie Möbel Wohnen , Kochen Genießen , Küchenmesser 1.8.5.ça pardon pas 20anstoute qui qui on enrongidtré il on menti a tout les musulmans pérssonnze qui va pârdoné si on apelle 1990 le non au die meme le magreb meme mo, apelle1986 magreb l'irak emirat tv mérci a les spéctateurs es les journaliste mielleurs le 1.11 2006.isalamiste a ola grande féte 12.29.2005pérssonne qui pardonneBagdad Cafe TV Show, 1.11.2006

Posted by: AMAR at December 29, 2005 3:06 AM


Post a comment











Remember personal info?






Categories
Central & Eastern Europe
France and frogs
Journalism
Los Angeles & California adventures
Net & weblogs
Private Investigation
Quick Film review
Archives
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004