Ministers skilled in “media speaking” by journalists | EUROtoday

Olivier Becht failed to avoid wasting his place within the authorities of the “heavyweights”. Excluded from Gabriel Attal's ministerial crew, the Alsatian left his place as Minister for Foreign Trade in February. Although he didn’t make an impression in almost two years in workplace, Mr. Becht, who as soon as once more grew to become a easy deputy (Renaissance) for Haut-Rhin, had however made efforts to enhance his public talking. In explicit, he referred to as on the Expression Conseil agency on a number of events for teaching on this space.

This firm, based by a former TF1 journalist, Jean-Pierre Verret, gained a contract in October 2022 with the federal government info service (SIG). A renewable contract till 2026, which can permit this service connected to Matignon to order as much as 1.6 million euros excluding taxes for “preparation for media and event speaking” companies, generally referred to as “media training “.

“We teach them to simplify their speech, to find messages, to structure their thoughts…”lists Jean-Pierre Verret. “The idea is to help certain ministers in their speeches, both in form and in substance, so that they do not forget to include their speech in the general action of the government », adds a former member of the government information service. Around 20,000 euros were spent in 2023, according to the SIG.

Double hat and discretion

In addition to Olivier Becht, the Minister Delegate for Local Authorities, Dominique Faure, the Secretary of State for the City, Sabrina Agresti-Roubache, and the Head of the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Repression , Sarah Lacoche, were accompanied. Services billed at 2,400 euros for two hours of training by the company, which generates three quarters of its turnover in the public sector. Among its other clients, we find the ministries of ecological transition, interior and foreign affairs.

One of Expression Conseil's commercial arguments is to offer the intervention, in addition to that of its founder, of journalists for its coaching sessions. Many of these are professionals working in audiovisual editorial offices such as TF1, CNews, Europe 1 or BFM-TV. “The journalists who work alongside Jean-Pierre Verret collaborate regularly with him”, explains the brochure presenting the companies transmitted to the SIG. Their position “is twofold: conducting the interviews and transmitting to the members [leur] skilled experience ».

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