International student competition
“Headline Urban Mobilities!”

3 questions to the winners


IVM :
What did you get out of this competition?

Louis Olivier & Damien Fleurot : What the competition did, in fact, was to give us an advance taste of the real thing. The thing about journalism schools is that they are midway between theory and practice, with a somewhat blurred halfway point which is hard to take in for novices like us. Headline Urban Mobility! put us face-to-face with a mini version of the real thing, with a schedule and editorial imperatives, layout requirements, print deadlines... What we actually did was create a small newspaper from A to Z – all to scale – where we were one moment editors-in-chief, then journalists, then editorial secretaries, designers, even columnists... A fantastic learning experience for young journalists, a superb full-scale trial just a few weeks from the move into the profession, and also what an advantage to work on a subject that is doubly neglected, urban mobility and disability...
Other exciting aspects were all the useful contacts we “collected” in preparing the story, the feverishness of the last few days before putting the feature to bed, the sleepless nights running up to completion...
And then there was the crucial training required for “Mobile”, interminable discussions on the choice of colours, logos, headings and subheadings, and especially on the editorial decisions governing all those other choices. What article to highlight, and how, what story to emphasise... And last but not least, what a pleasure it was for young journalists not to work for nothing, and with nothing... In this respect, the working conditions created by IVM were remarkable. Obviously the budget needed to be managed, but it was large enough for us not to have to sacrifice stories. Not to mention the reward that brings this unforgettable experience to a close...

IVM :
What prospects do you see for your project?

Louis Olivier & Damien Fleurot :
In all honesty, we don’t yet have enough contacts, or even influence, to sell a project like this to general editors, whether in the written or audiovisual media. On the other hand, we are using and will use this stock of subjects on a one-off basis to sell to our respective editors (TF1 at present). So it is very likely that you will see programmes on vehicle automation or disability-related problems when they fit in with the news... Also, we have sent our feature to all the people who helped us produce it, from Paris Town Hall to the Association des Paralysés de France, though there has been no comeback so far. Finally, we’re looking forward to your suggestions for further ideas.

IVM :
What would you say to help the future participants in competition 4?

Louis Olivier & Damien Fleurot :
That the main enemy in this type of competition is time. Your schedule is crucial. In addition, you need to make people want to read, which means being prepared to be original, to attempt the improbable. And finally, the choice of subject is obviously the heart of the competition. So the first thing is to allow yourself time to sketch the outlines and to establish a strategy so that nothing gets forgotten.