Interview. lot. Lise Jolly, journalist, “One of my recordings led to the conviction of Jean-Marie Le Pen”

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Per Jean-Claude Bonnemere
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Lise Jolly: “I like to understand and explain! » (© DR)

Journalist at France and Germany, Lise Jolly he tells us about his professional career, through the written press, radio and television; share your passion for information with us. Itinerary of a woman overflowing with enthusiasm.

“In 2013 my husband and I bought a pied-à-terre in Teyssieu”, says Lise Jolly. Thus, the couple frequents the Lot, on vacation, for almost 10 years. “Coming to the Lot was a big break for us with our hectic lives, in the Paris region or in Germany.” continues Mjo Joly. The choice of the North Lot was part of the combination of family relations between Toulouse and Brive as well as real estate opportunities.

El Lot: at first for the holidays now to live!

With the arrival of the first confinement, the decision to settle in the field for the year, accelerated the project of the couple in their intention to turn green. Falling in love with a house in Bétaille then became decisive for this change in the living environment. “So here we are, Lotois in full force since January 2021!” specifies Lise Jolly, with an undisguised smile. The wonder of this region, the warm welcome of its inhabitants; two major reasons that sealed his installation on the banks of the Dordogne.

News: Is it easy to integrate into the countryside, when you have spent most of your life in the big cities?

Lisa Jolly: I have changed places of life so many times in my life that I feel so out of nowhere and everywhere! My grandparents were farmers in the Gatinais

. As a child, my parents and I lived in the countryside for a while, then we went to town, before returning to a village. At only 18 years old, I became a citizen, evolving in large metropolises.

Lise Jolly, radio enthusiast

Was it a clear line for you, the orientation towards journalism? LJ:

I was about twelve years old when I made small diaries with columns and articles that I wrote myself. My interest in this profession is not new, because I am curious by nature, because I like to understand, explain and write …

How did you become a journalist? LJ:

I did not study journalism. After a C (science) high school, I wanted to enter a journalism school, but my parents thought it was not a job for women and it was beyond doubt for them. The only alternative left was the medical school, but frankly, it wasn’t made for that; this teaching did not interest me and I quickly left the case! Then I resumed my studies in German and philosophy, despite being a pioneer. A childhood friend who had brought me to Germany passed on my love for this country and this language. However, I had not lost sight of journalism and I took the opportunity to do an internship in a weekly equivalent to La Vie Quercynoise: L’Éclaireur du Gatinais. After 15 days I was hired and I stayed there for two years! I also worked for another weekly: La République de Seine-et-Marne. Until the moment when one of the first local radios of Radio France tried to expand its broadcasting field and I was recruited. That’s it, I had entered the profession and a new stage opened up for me with a proposal in Paris, which took me to Radio Bleue. I must say that at that time, it was a radio aimed at the elderly, but encouraged by young people. I did a film section there, which gave me the opportunity to cover the Cannes Film Festival.

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From one contract to another, is it promotion, even in the big leagues? LJ:

All of this happened one thing at a time, I hadn’t come up with a career plan. When I joined France Culture, I first presented the newspapers, then I dealt with economics, social and education. I worked on this radio for six years. And I succeeded Annette Ardisson at France Inter in resuming the appointment of the political guest of the morning (
In front of the Berlin Wall In front of the Berlin Wall

(© DR)

All this without having gone to journalism school; how do you explain LJ:

It’s the principle of “Diving, even if you can’t swim!” Neither journalism school nor special training, I learned everything at work, telling myself every time I had to get there! I have no particular explanation, beyond the fact that I gave it my all, where I found myself. I didn’t wonder, knowing that if it didn’t work, I would always be in time to get back to it. It was a perpetual challenge for me!

And from there they name you in Germany? LJ:

I must say that my position at France Inter was busy and it is true that I aspired to something else. I met Jean-Luc Hess, the head of France Inter at the time, before he became its director some time later. That’s when I was initially offered to be a correspondent based in Bonn, Germany. I was delighted.

The journalist is first and foremost the one who looks, understands and informs …Lise Jolly

Journalist

How do you define this journalistic profession? LJ:

For my part, the definition of the journalist is the field reporter, first and foremost. It is not the columnist, the one who debates on television or the radio, not even the presenter who sits down. The journalist is first and foremost the one who looks, understands and informs (reports) ... Obviously, there are several approaches to journalism, with particular specialties.
One of the many debates moderated by Lise Jolly One of the many debates led by Lise Jolly, left François Bayrou.

(© DR)

You yourself have held various positions as a journalist, which one would you prefer? LJ:

Clearly, what moved me most was being a foreign correspondent. You have a lot to learn when you are a country correspondent; how people live, how the country is organized … The knowledge acquired before arriving favors integration, but the experience among the population is irreplaceable! When you are a correspondent abroad, the range of topics covered is very wide; as well as politics, sports, culture, news …

What memories do you have of your correspondence in Germany? LJ:

When I arrived in Bonn at the end of Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s term, the period seemed boring to me! There was a great economic crisis after reunification. However, when we traveled to Berlin at the same time as the government, there was a lot of news. In addition, it was a social democratic and green government, for the first time. Then the war broke out in Kosovo with all the twists and turns that this entailed … We were facing the current alternative Berlin and the new Berlin emerging from the base, which was not showing too much … As for me, it was an exciting time.

Print media, radio and television, which medium are you most passionate about? LJ:
It is television that has interested me the least, I must say, since it is the image that predominates; what we have to say comes second. Take a deliberately caricatured example, if you are reporting on the Ukrainian war and you have a pimple on your nose, we will not listen to what you say, but we will focus on the pimple on your nose.

For my part, I find that there is something magical about radio. It is with the words that we create images in people's heads, that we lead them to follow the themes. As for the written press, it is much more comfortable, from the point of view of the time we have compared to submitting an article. Although I loved radio, I am still a writer!
Here in France Culture Here in France Culture

(© DR)

What do you remember from your interviews with politicians? LJ:

It’s not very interesting to let them promote themselves or their ideas. The goal is to get them to say something that can relate to the audience. In an interview or a report, it is a matter of getting as close as possible to reality, without prejudice. Sometimes it happens that the report we had planned to do at the end is completely different, because the reality is very different from what we had imagined.

Are there any topics you would be especially proud to have covered? LJ:

One day, Jean-Marie Le Pen came to Munich, Germany, to meet an elderly Nazi. He had the misfortune of repeating that the gas chambers were “a detail of history” and suddenly, as I had made clear, it was my report that made him condemn him to Germany, as justice she took care of the case herself.

How do you feel about handling the news today? LJ:
Everything is going very fast! We are witnessing a race of shallots, a race of firsts, readers, viewers, … which means that when you are a journalist you do not have time to work hard, because you have to immediately. get out of the information. Consequently, we give information in the conditional, that is, we do not provide real information.

When it comes to continuous news channels, this can have interesting aspects, but when you hear speakers say the opposite, with experts with more or less recognized skills, it ends up harming the credibility of journalists.
behind the microphone Lise Jolly on her debut at France Inter …

(© DR)

Today you are in the north of the Lot, freelance journalist and correspondent for La Vie Quercynoise and ActuLot.fr how are you? LJ:

I find it a great pleasure to evolve in this new environment, because I missed writing. In addition, I really like meeting people, knowing the environment where I live … I am always curious, with the same desire to understand and explain, to testify. Whether you are at the end of the world or north of the Lot, when it comes to finding information and transmitting it, the path is always the same! One of my former bosses said: a good report is sometimes just around the corner. What is true!

The Gâtinais is a former county and a natural region of France that stretches across the territory of the departments of Loiret, Seine-et-Marne and Essonne and Yonne. Was this article helpful to you? Please note that you can follow Actu Lot in the My Actu space. With one click, after signing up, you’ll find all the news from your favorite cities and brands.

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