Agence France-Presse Reviews

Pros

Exciting newsroom, great people, like an extended family

Cons

The pay, and it's a big organisation so you're just a cog in the machine, but it's a friendly machine pushing out great stories. Of course, being a newswire, there's often a lot of pressure.

Advice to Senior Management

Not for me to say

Pros

team spirit, values, ethics, international player

Cons

administrative, slow, bureaucratie, old fashioned image

Advice to Senior Management

engage in NTIC and hire new fresh and young graduates

Pros

International news agency with a strong reputation worldwide. There is also very good scope to move around to other bureaux with AFP and the benefits for Paris-based staff sent on foreign postings are highly competitive.

It's growing English service, especially in Asia, should provide more and more opportunities for English language journalists over the coming years.

In general, the working environment makes AFP a pleasant place to earn a living, compared to some of its competitors.

Cons

Lack of transparency: At times the agency can ressemble an 'old boys club' - foreign postings and permanent contracts appear to be assigned depending on how cosy you are with senior management. Many internal vacancies seem to be a 'done deal' before being officially announced and unsuccessful candidates are almost never given reasons why their applications failed.

Poor communication: senior management rarely give effective feedback on your work. It is often heard second-hand as office gossip.

Pay: renumeration is less than at other news agencies - Reuters, DJ, Bloomberg - and is linked to how long you have been with the company rather than performance.

Advice to Senior Management

- Make promotion and performance review structures more transparent
- Communicate more effectively with your staff and give regular feedback