Anne Pflimlin, Director of Mediaschool London: "Transmission is a noble mission"

The road to journalism...

Anne Pflimlin began her career while still a student at the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme in France and obtained an internship at Agence France Presse: "It was the discovery of the reality of the journalistic profession during this first job that was a revelation, even more than my studies. Writing for a major news agency is a style that has to be neutral, so it's quite an art to tip the balance objectively.

Today she advocates a journalism that would approach information through hope and through the real progress of our societies without miserabilism: "The temptation to sensationalise existed long before social networks. Having convictions is good, but it is necessary to keep a full perspective on the contradictory aspects of each case. Today, as before, we are looking for the news that will make money, for clients to interview according to the answers to be collected. Our press is responsible for the prevailing depression, even though its mission is to inform and encourage reflection.

At the same time, Anne was working for a free radio station where she was asked to be particularly incisive during interviews with personalities such as Jean d'Ormesson or Michèle Morgan: "That was the beginning of the unpleasant interviews. I'm facing people who have exceptional careers and I'm asked, at 20 years old, to push them to the limit, whereas you can totally conduct a captivating interview without being unpleasant. This incredible power should inspire humility in any young journalist when many feel they have a mission or simply become arrogant."

Which lead to teaching...

It is in Belgium, where she continues her career as a journalist, presenter and producer in the audiovisual sector, that she will be asked if she would like to teach her expertise in communication and the media: "There are three great moments in life. The first is learning, the second is mastering your subject, your job, and the third is passing on. I have a fulfilling and professionally exciting life and I have been able to do a lot of different things and one day I was asked to pass on to younger people. So I started to teach communication, especially related to audiovisuals, and I liked it, and I think I was effective in these areas. Working in education, in addition to that of my children, seemed to me to be a noble mission with a real usefulness in which to invest myself.

She decided to invest in this first school in Brussels, founded three others in Toulouse, Strasbourg and Barcelona, and joined forces with and participated in the purchase of two schools in Paris, which gave birth to the MediaSchool group. She is currently one of the founders, partner and director of the group, which includes some thirty schools in 15 cities, and she is mainly responsible for international development, particularly since 2011 for the MediaSchool branch in London, where she has chosen to live.

"No tedious market research to open or create a new school, but simply listening carefully to students. There were many students who wanted to travel or study abroad and above all wanted to improve their English and their understanding of the English-speaking world. The United States no longer seemed as attractive to them and the two English-speaking destinations they were interested in were far-away Australia and the United Kingdom. Our move to London coincided with a great time for Britain; it was the total buzz of William & Kate's wedding, the Olympics, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and the start of this wonderful GREAT Britain campaign that would demonstrate all that was exciting about the UK, combining tradition and heritage with innovation and creativity, the country was on a roll, so it was a long way from thinking about Brexit."

Mediaschool London in 2021

MediaSchool London is an establishment that fulfils its mission and seems very attractive today, thanks to the three courses on offer: "At MediaSchool London you will find dynamic teaching in English of all the communication professions with the European Communication School, multimedia journalism with the European Institute of Journalism and luxury marketing with the Paris School of Luxury. The idea of this last school dedicated to the world of luxury was also born from listening to our students who were looking for a specialisation in this field with high employment. Initially, I created a fourth year of the Paris School of Luxury.