According to a report in Britain’s Independent newspaper, TF1, France’s main TV channel, has appointed a black journalist as “substitute” presenter of the country’s most-watched news bulletin. The move follows pressure from President Jacques Chirac, the paper suggests.
From July, 32 year old Harry Roselmack – born on the French Caribbean island of Martinique but brought up in Tours, western France – will become the first non-white person to present a prime-time, mainstream television news programme on France’s most-watched channel.
During the rioting by multiracial suburban gangs of young people in November last year, French television companies were criticised for their failure to present an ethnically diverse picture of French society.
The paper continues that although journalists of Arab or African origin have presented the news on minor channels or out of prime time, the main news bulletins have been an all-white preserve. This was said to reinforce the sense of alienation felt by black and Arab youths in poor, French suburbs. After the riots, President Chirac urged all the French media, and especially television companies, to make greater effort to hire journalists from ethnic minorities.
TF1 said it had hired Roselmack to respond to the President’s appeal but also because “he is a very good journalist”.
Roselmack’s abilities are undisputed. Formerly a radio journalist, he has become a popular figure on the i-TELE cable news channel in the past six months. He has been praised for his clear and faultless presentation and his ability to exude seriousness and warmth.
He was described by one French newspaper as “having the looks of a play-boy, smiling and sexy”.
From the summer, he will present regular news bulletins on TFI’s 24-hour news channel, LCI. More importantly, he will, from July, become the face of the 8pm TF1 news while its veteran presenter, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, is on holiday.