Editorial by Pierre Louette, AFP chief executive officer
The world is changing and so is Agence France-Presse, so that it can give an ever better service to its clients. Our agency dates back to 1835, but it has never had to confront an upheaval such as the Internet era. What is not changing is our devotion to facts, a near religion, an age-old tradition that must never be considered out of date. The agency has a passion for getting it right, preparing a sourced and checked story and delivering it as quickly as possible.
But what is happening to AFP is part of an even bigger revolution. Our clients are changing because the ways they reach their public are multiplying and because their own clients are becoming increasingly what French advertising guru Jacques Seguela has called "consum-actors" or proactive consumers.
With today’s news nomads, who search for their information in multimedia and have an ever growing choice of outlets, the very basis of news delivery is in question. Consumers are demanding ever greater involvement; instead of receiving a predetermined flow of news, they are selecting the news they want. From being passive consumers they are becoming ever more active.
It is for all these reasons that last September, AFP launched its own Multimedia Agency renovation, which has accelerated in recent weeks, led by our new global news director, Philippe Massonnet. A profound technical transformation, particularly the introduction of our new 4XML computer system, will bring an enormous change to production methods and the products.
Moving part of our editorial department to a new building close to our historical headquarters at Place de la Bourse will enable us to deploy new multimedia editing skills in an environment more adapted to our modernising aims.
The prospect of reforming AFP's 1957 statute will allow the agency to finally be supported with shareholders -- partners that we want to be public bodies because AFP's mission, now as in the past, cannot be dictated by the laws of the market. This agency has a crucial general interest duty. With a stable shareholding, and after three years of good financial results, AFP, always looking to be closer and needed by its clients, can plan its transformation with serenity.