France's news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) has always had an ambivalent relationship with the state. Xavier Baron’s book, Le Monde en direct ('The World, Live', published by Éditions La Découverte) traces this right back to the birth in 1835 of AFP's ancestor, Agence Havas, which obtained backing from the July Monarchy over its numerous rivals for what was then an innovative idea. Now, 180 years later, beset by financial difficulties and technological challenges, AFP is still juggling with a modern version of the same old dilemma – how to maintain editorial independence while financially dependent on the government of the day.
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