Should the media (also) cheer us up?

Is it possible, without minimising the difficulties, to turn the spotlight on the France that is undertaking and succeeding?

On Mondays I pay particular attention to the news because I have an editorial to write between Monday evening and Tuesday morning. This Monday evening, 50% of the news was about the epilogue of the DSK affair, which is a hundred times longer than the interview that sealed the deal, 30% about the so-called personal presidential slingshot against the authors of La Frondeuse, 10% about the Nobel Peace Prize received by Europe, which we talk about almost embarrassedly when we should be extremely proud of it, and 10% were scattered between Depardieu's tax exile, Berlusconi's dream of revenge after Mario Monti's resignation, and a small dose of a Minister of Education who dreams of being a recruitment HRD.

On the substantive side, the Bank of France, more pessimistic than other economic sources, is predicting a very difficult future, forecasting a 0.1% drop in GDP in the fourth quarter. This would technically mean a recessionary episode after the same decline in the third quarter. On the social side, the repercussions of the long crisis and unemployment are merciless. The national conference on the fight against poverty opened yesterday with an alarming assessment of 141,000 French people affected by poverty, poor housing, lack of access to healthcare, fuel poverty, over-indebtedness, etc. A conference from which little is expected, but which is not yet over. A conference from which little is expected, given the perceived lack of political control over the economy, and it is not the latest (rather nth) episode on Florange that will contradict this perception. Florange, which it seems should be saved, without really knowing why.

Beyond the principle of saving jobs, which everyone can agree on, what is the long-term strategy? Why doesn't anyone make us dream about Florange? about the steel of tomorrow? On the day when Europe receives its Nobel Peace Prize, when everyone boasts about the famous Franco-German friendship (but by the way, how many French people have German friends? or speak German?), was it not a possible wink to history to talk about European steel 60 years after the creation of the first European stone, namely the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)?

Another fundamental subject is certainly evoked in words, but little in facts, and that is the fabulous question of the energy transition, an exciting project, but often too passionate. Energy inflation is obvious, it leads to social insecurity and lack of economic competitiveness. On this subject of energy as on others, the solutions do not come from the froth of the moment, but from long-term strategic choices and the ability to innovate when we too often react rather than anticipate.

In order to define a strategy and innovate, it is also necessary, even in difficult times, to show encouraging signals, to stop breaking morale with information. 

Today, 11 December 2012, the national network of Chambers of Commerce and Industry is closing its "500,000andme" operation, inviting entrepreneurs to tell the story of their business start-up or recently created business through a video. A simple idea that has generated, in only two months, nearly 800 video pitches posted, more than a million page views, and nearly 200,000 people voting to support these projects. This year, in the midst of economic turmoil, business creation should remain stable compared to last year (470,000 at the end of October, +2.6% compared to the end of October 2011, thanks to auto-entrepreneurs, it is true), but above all, all these videos share a positive state of mind, enthusiasm, passion and the desire to progress.

The fact that France is undertaking, innovating and conquering markets is the best news we can hope to see develop. If we can be shocked by presidential interference in the release of a book, there is one citizen interference that we could appreciate, and that is to impose a quota of good news to increase the audience for encouraging initiatives and achievements!

Tuesday's editorial on atlantico