Young Reporters: on your marks...

Young careers can now begin. This year, the ‘Young Reporters’ journey begins on a boat. The six teenagers who were selected after auditions this Spring in three locations – Brussels, Luxembourg and Paris – have now joined forces and are part of the media that has assembled on the Mega Smeralda, the headquarters of the race for the Grand Départ. The ‘prologue’ edition of the daily newspaper that they will create, ‘A Notre Tour’ was created in Paris and gave them an understanding of what it was like to work to a deadline.
Suzanne even dared to compare her situation with the hero of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. “It’s like finding the golden ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate,” she said. “We are unable to believe that we’re doing what we are; it’s happening and nothing can be better.”
Today, for Suzanne, along with Elen, Maxime, Malta, Sarah and Oliver, the ‘chocolate factory’ took the form of a huge yellow and blue ship that is moored in the harbour at Porto Vechhio and houses the first media centre of the 2013 Tour.
“It's magic,” enthuses Olivier from Brussels. “It already seems like we’re coming into part of a family.”
The first interviews, articles and photos to illustrate their endeavours already occupy the minds in the small team. But the program provides an early crash course in journalism in a program of tasks organised by Magalie and Simon, their mentor and guide throughout the Tour. “The most important thing is to systematically find relevant material before you start an article angle. Then you go to find some atypical info, something that stands out from the crowd... and also have fun,” said Magalie who was, in fact, also a Young Reporter at the Tour back in 1998.
As of this afternoon, they will attend press conferences before going to the presentation of the teams at the end of the day. The allocation of subjects to produce issue number-one of their newspaper has already been discussed: it could be found including a summary of the interview with the captain of Mega Smeralda. The ideas have begun to flow…