This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/19/world/europe/france-great-debate-twitch.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| France, Reaching Out to Youth, Takes Its Great Debate to Twitch | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| PARIS — In the thousands of town halls and gymnasiums where the French government has organized “great debates” as a response to the “Yellow Vest” protests, one group has been noticeably absent: young people. | PARIS — In the thousands of town halls and gymnasiums where the French government has organized “great debates” as a response to the “Yellow Vest” protests, one group has been noticeably absent: young people. |
| So rather than keep hoping that French youth will show up in person, on Tuesday the government met them (at least some of them) where they already are in virtual form. Ten government ministers took part in an 11--hour discussion that appeared live on Twitch, a popular platform best known for showing people playing video games. | So rather than keep hoping that French youth will show up in person, on Tuesday the government met them (at least some of them) where they already are in virtual form. Ten government ministers took part in an 11--hour discussion that appeared live on Twitch, a popular platform best known for showing people playing video games. |
| “I understand why there are not a lot of young people in these meetings,” Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said on Tuesday, as he discussed the nationwide series of discussions known as the Great National Debate. “They are interested in politics, but maybe not in that way, so we must adapt.” | “I understand why there are not a lot of young people in these meetings,” Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said on Tuesday, as he discussed the nationwide series of discussions known as the Great National Debate. “They are interested in politics, but maybe not in that way, so we must adapt.” |
| President Emmanuel Macron, whose popularity has plunged since he took office in 2017, embarked on the national debate in an attempt to defuse the anger of the Yellow Vest demonstrators, a movement that began in response to a proposal to raise fuel taxes but has developed into a much wider threat to his political fortunes and economic plans. | President Emmanuel Macron, whose popularity has plunged since he took office in 2017, embarked on the national debate in an attempt to defuse the anger of the Yellow Vest demonstrators, a movement that began in response to a proposal to raise fuel taxes but has developed into a much wider threat to his political fortunes and economic plans. |
| The marathon discussion on Twitch was the latest attempt by the government to diversify the format, which has taken the form of 7,000 meetings, and over a million online comments. | The marathon discussion on Twitch was the latest attempt by the government to diversify the format, which has taken the form of 7,000 meetings, and over a million online comments. |
| With the exception of an exchange between Mr. Macron and some 1,000 young people in a gymnasium earlier this month, people in their teens and 20s have mostly stayed away from the debates, which have been more popular among older people, especially retirees. | With the exception of an exchange between Mr. Macron and some 1,000 young people in a gymnasium earlier this month, people in their teens and 20s have mostly stayed away from the debates, which have been more popular among older people, especially retirees. |
| “So many young people are interested in the news, but they reject the current political class, and there’s a huge split between them and the ministers,” said Hugo Travers, a 21-year-old journalist who helped organize the daylong debate on Twitch. | “So many young people are interested in the news, but they reject the current political class, and there’s a huge split between them and the ministers,” said Hugo Travers, a 21-year-old journalist who helped organize the daylong debate on Twitch. |
| “We don’t want to make such or such minister likable,” he said. “We want to recreate some bonds between politicians and the youth, to help break that split.” | “We don’t want to make such or such minister likable,” he said. “We want to recreate some bonds between politicians and the youth, to help break that split.” |
| Tuesday’s debate was initiated by the journalist Jean Massiet, the founder of Accropolis, a Twitch channel that focuses on French politics. His weekly live-streaming of parliamentary sessions attracts thousands of viewers. | Tuesday’s debate was initiated by the journalist Jean Massiet, the founder of Accropolis, a Twitch channel that focuses on French politics. His weekly live-streaming of parliamentary sessions attracts thousands of viewers. |
| He reached out to the French government, which welcomed the idea, financed the daylong production and provided the set. The debate was organized within a matter of days. | He reached out to the French government, which welcomed the idea, financed the daylong production and provided the set. The debate was organized within a matter of days. |
| Mr. Travers, who runs a YouTube channel focusing on news for young audiences, reached out to his community of over 263,000 subscribers to choose those who would debate the government officials. He said the government did not know which young people would speak, and that the organizers were left free to structure the debate without interference. | Mr. Travers, who runs a YouTube channel focusing on news for young audiences, reached out to his community of over 263,000 subscribers to choose those who would debate the government officials. He said the government did not know which young people would speak, and that the organizers were left free to structure the debate without interference. |
| Small groups of young people took turns on the set, as did the ministers of education, urban planning and housing, and culture, among others, discussing the four main topics of the Great National Debate — taxation, the environment, the government and public services, and democracy and citizenship. They also tackled education issues, youth participation in politics, and homelessness. | Small groups of young people took turns on the set, as did the ministers of education, urban planning and housing, and culture, among others, discussing the four main topics of the Great National Debate — taxation, the environment, the government and public services, and democracy and citizenship. They also tackled education issues, youth participation in politics, and homelessness. |
| One student, Pauline Boissinot, asked about lowering taxes on menstrual products. Another, Maxime Korsak, told the education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer: “When you speak on television, it doesn’t reach us.” | One student, Pauline Boissinot, asked about lowering taxes on menstrual products. Another, Maxime Korsak, told the education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer: “When you speak on television, it doesn’t reach us.” |
| The talks, which remained mostly polite, contrasted with the sometimes-virulent messages that viewers posted in a live chat that scrolled down one side of the screen. | The talks, which remained mostly polite, contrasted with the sometimes-virulent messages that viewers posted in a live chat that scrolled down one side of the screen. |
| The 11-hour, uninterrupted discussion mirrored a style of broadcasting popular among Yellow Vests protesters, who favored long, raw reports of their protests live-streamed by the television channel RT France, or by the news website Brut. RT France is an arm of RT, formerly known as Russia Today, the Kremlin-financed operation that often plays up dissension and conflict in Western countries. | The 11-hour, uninterrupted discussion mirrored a style of broadcasting popular among Yellow Vests protesters, who favored long, raw reports of their protests live-streamed by the television channel RT France, or by the news website Brut. RT France is an arm of RT, formerly known as Russia Today, the Kremlin-financed operation that often plays up dissension and conflict in Western countries. |
| Twitch, which was founded in 2011 and bought by Amazon in 2014, is mostly known for live-streaming people playing video games like Fortnite or League of Legends. It has expanded to include some talk shows and cooking shows, and Tuesday marked the first live appearances on it by French government ministers. | Twitch, which was founded in 2011 and bought by Amazon in 2014, is mostly known for live-streaming people playing video games like Fortnite or League of Legends. It has expanded to include some talk shows and cooking shows, and Tuesday marked the first live appearances on it by French government ministers. |
| Mr. Travers, who moderated several debates during the day, said the organizers would collect the best exchanges and chat comments, and would submit them to the platform dedicated to online contributions to the national debate. | Mr. Travers, who moderated several debates during the day, said the organizers would collect the best exchanges and chat comments, and would submit them to the platform dedicated to online contributions to the national debate. |
| Despite his own role in the live stream, he said he was skeptical that such debates would lead to positive change. | Despite his own role in the live stream, he said he was skeptical that such debates would lead to positive change. |
| “But we shall at least try,” he said, “so the youth can rejoin the national debate.” | “But we shall at least try,” he said, “so the youth can rejoin the national debate.” |