(…) But even before the launch of France 24, Chirac could count on volunteers to fight for the Gallic world view abroad thanks to an informal media monitoring network called miquelon.org.
Its motto, Educating French Bashers One Day At A Time, spells out its goal: to stamp out anti-French comments on the internet and in the mainstream media (the US talk show host Jay Leno is one target).
Marc St Aubin du Cormier, Miquelon’s co-founder, thinks France 24 an excellent idea and he appeared thrilled to see Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist who was critical of France in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, put on the spot on its inaugural broadcast.
However, he suspects the channel is too noble to be a true ally in the guerrilla war against the stubborn pockets of Francophobic resistance that can still be found in the US.
“It is a thankless and difficult task,” he laments.
Source : Financial Times, 8 December 2006