WHAT'S NEXT: INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS

Le Monde is today 65 years old.

First edition: December 18, 1944 sold in Paris but dated and distributed in provinces as December 19.

A former assistant of the founder, Hubert Beuve-Méry, took me this precious picture a few days ago in front of his last desk at the Rue des Italiens, now in the 6th floor of Le Monde building at Boulervard Auguste Blanqui.

This picture is dedicated to Miguel Urabayen, a loyal reader and fan of this great evening newspaper.

A newspaper that I started to read in my high school years in Barcelona, where many of us read the daily reports of Jose Antonio Novais, its brave correspondent in Madrid, or the editorials of Maurice Duverger…

In the last few days I had the pleasure of reading Hubert Beuve-Méry’s biography (L’Homme du Monde) written by Laurent Greilsamer, assistant editor of Le Monde who was kind enough to sign me his book with these warm words:

Long life to Le Monde!

Le Monde front page deserves some attention.

After several failed redesigns, now the paper seems to go backwards.

Today’s front page is an example.

Looks like the Monde that rejected pictures as a non rational content.

Well, if you want to connect with the new generations of readers, you better pay more atention to visual journalism.

Pictures matter.

Too wordy.

Back to the past.

The founder of Le Monde, the venerable Hubert Beuve-Mery didn’t like long meetings and he favored news meetings in his office “a la Japanese” with all the editors standing up.

A good way to keep them short and not boring.

Well, The Guardian in London is better  and more funky with these yellow sofas.

Send me please more pictures of real news meeting rooms, and traditions.