Pierre Bénard (17 November 1898 – 23 December 1946) was a French

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

. Bénard was born in 1898; his father was clerk to an attorney. He began as a journalist in the 1920s, for ''

L'Œuvre ''L'Œuvre'' is the fourteenth novel in the '' Rougon-Macquart'' series by Émile Zola. It was first serialized in the periodical ''Gil Blas'' beginning in December 1885 before being published in novel form by Charpentier in 1886. The title, t ...

'', where he held the judicial brief, and for ''Bonsoir''. He was the author of upbeat novels and of many prefaces for works on contemporary law, at the same time doing large-scale

reportage Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

s for various weekly publications including '' Gringoire'' (from which he distanced himself in 1934). He joined ''

Le Canard enchaîné (; English: "The Chained Duck" or "The Chained Paper", as is French slang meaning "newspaper") is a satirical weekly newspaper in France. Its headquarters is in Paris. Founded in 1915 during World War I, it features investigative journalism a ...

'' in 1923, and became editor-in-chief there in 1936. During this period he was opposed to

Jean Galtier-Boissière Jean Galtier-Boissière (26 December 1891, Paris – 22 January 1966, Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a writer, polemist, and journalist from Paris, France. He founded ''Le Crapouillot'' and wrote for ''Le Canard enchaîné''. Bibliography * ''Croquis ...

, on the issue of French military intervention in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he participated in the beginning of 1944 in the underground paper of ''

Défense de la France ''Défense de la France'' was an underground newspaper produced by a group of the French Resistance during World War II. Essentially developed in the Northern Zone, ''Défense de la France'' distinguishes itself by an activity centered on the ...

''. He also wrote in ''

Combat Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

'' and in the clandestine '' Lettres françaises''; his articles were unsigned but written in a characteristic style, identifiable by his

pun A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophonic ...

witticism Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack. Form ...

s and incessant carriage returns. After the

liberation of France The liberation of France in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers of World War II, Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French R ...

Bénard went back to editing weekly papers, but died shortly after on 22 December 1946. He was married to Geneviève Antoine, herself a journalist at ''Bonsoir'', with whom he had a daughter.

References

1898 births 1946 deaths French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French journalists 20th-century French male writers {{France-journalist-stub