One TGV, two statuses (Swiss Press Text 2014, by Matteo Maillard) - Swiss Press Award

Le Temps

Matteo Maillard

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, As a 25-year-old journalist, I have had the opportunity to write for the Tribune de Genève, Le Temps, and Le Courrier, where I currently work. At the same time, since September 2012, I have been participating in a training program organized by the French newspaper Le Monde and dedicated to young French-speaking reporters. The only Swiss among the 68 finalists selected, I have had the opportunity to publish several articles in the print version or on lemonde.fr. At the end of the 2012-2013 session, I was one of five candidates reappointed for a second year. Furthermore, in August, I had the honor of receiving the 2013 Young Journalist Prize for French-speaking Switzerland, awarded by the Swiss Press Club and the GHI group. The main report that I am presenting to you for this competition appeared in Le Temps on Friday, June 21, 2013, on the Spotlight page. This is a cross-portrait of two TGV stewards working for the Swiss company Elvetino on the line between Geneva and Paris. This railway catering company uses a dual social and salary system to be more competitive in the French market. These different regimes, for the same job, create tensions and competition between employees. Some are better protected while others have a better salary. The two protagonists of the story are Adem and Sophie. They each represent a specific social regime (Swiss or French) with its advantages and disadvantages. To reflect this economic border, I adapted it to the geographical border and the landscape passing by the train window. The story alternates between the setting of the Paris-Geneva TGV where Adem speaks and that of the Geneva-Paris TGV where Sophie speaks. The trains travel the same line but start from both ends. The start of the journey evokes the origins, then, in turn, the protagonists' relationship to these distinct regimes until the brutal encounter, the shock of their journey, symbolized by the crossing of the two TGV trains. Following its publication, the article created a real buzz, circulating among most of Elvetino's employees. Sophie explained to me that she had been pressured by her management because of her participation in the article. However, she does not regret any of her remarks. Many colleagues came to congratulate her for having the courage to say out loud what everyone was thinking quietly. The other two articles I present to you bear witness to my recent activities and my interest in journalism, particularly reporting. I like to go into the field, meet people, listen to them, and use my immediate environment as material for my work. I am convinced that at the bottom of every window, on every street corner, there is a story worth telling. I hope my texts will convince you. Please accept, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, the expression of my distinguished greetings. Matteo Maillard