Since February 27, 2025, France Médias Monde has established a new hub near Beirut, Lebanon. Situated in the heart of the Near and Middle East, this initiative complements existing newsrooms in Africa, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe. Through a localised approach, it aims to foster audience trust by delivering news in their native languages. The Beirut-based team enhances the digital production capabilities of France 24’s Arabic editorial team and Monte Carlo Doualiya (MCD), creating content for both media outlets’ websites and social media platforms.
AN EDITORIAL TEAM AT THE CORE OF THE NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST
A team of approximately 15 Arabic-speaking journalists from across the region (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, and beyond) has been recruited for this digital newsroom. They are supported by specialists in digital technologies, including SEO and infographics. Joumana Fehmi, a seasoned journalist with experience at MTV Lebanon, Alrai TV Koweit, Future TV, and Info3 News, has been appointed editor-in-chief and operational director.
Operating under the local subsidiary ‘France Médias Monde Orient,’ the team collaborates closely with France 24 and MCD newsrooms at France Médias Monde headquarters, ensuring strong editorial alignment between Paris and Beirut. Additionally, they benefit from the expertise of all France Médias Monde editorial divisions (RFI, France 24, MCD). All journalists recruited in Beirut in late 2024 underwent a two-month training programme with the France Médias Monde Academy, receiving guidance from experts in editorial, digital, technical, and security fields.
A STRATEGY OF GEOGRAPHICAL AND LINGUISTIC PROXIMITY
The Beirut regional hub is a key element of France Médias Monde’s strategy to cultivate public trust by maintaining geographic and linguistic proximity to its audiences.
Lebanon was chosen for this digital newsroom due to France Médias Monde’s longstanding presence in the country — a Francophone nation where RFI, France 24, and MCD extensively cover political, economic, social, and cultural news through on-site correspondents in French, English, and Arabic. This initiative also strengthens France Médias Monde’s partnerships in Lebanon. For instance, Radio Liban airs 12 hours of RFI’s French-language programming daily, while Télé Liban broadcasts France 24’s Arabic-language programmes.
By establishing an Arabic-speaking editorial team in Beirut, France Médias Monde reinforces its commitment to promoting Francophonie in a multilingual world. Expanding Arabic-language content allows the group to share the values of Francophonie with audiences in regions where French is less commonly spoken.
STRENGTHENED EFFORTS AGAINST DISINFORMATION
Like the Arabic-language editorial teams based in Paris, the Beirut newsroom produces free, independent, verified, and balanced news coverage of current events in the Near and Middle East and across the Arab world. This regional perspective enriches and complements France 24’s Arabic and MCD’s digital offerings while playing a crucial role in combating disinformation. The newsroom leverages the expertise of France 24 Observers, a recognised leader in fact-checking and countering fake news.
Content produced on-site is specifically tailored for digital platforms, including mobile videos, infographics, vertical formats, articles, and podcasts. This strategy enhances the visibility of France 24 in Arabic and MCD in the digital landscape, driving growth across their websites, apps, and social media channels. Additionally, this new structure enables France 24 in Arabic and MCD to expand onto platforms such as TikTok.
CONTENT PRODUCED IN BEIRUT
> Around 15 digital-first programmes from France 24 in Arabic and MCD, adapted for various platforms and social networks;
> Daily columns covering Gulf-region current events, health, and environmental topics;
> ‘Explainers’ on economic and societal issues;
> Video capsules and short clips published daily on YouTube and other social media platforms;
> International news articles for other France Médias Monde Arabic-language outlets.
A BASE AT ESA BUSINESS SCHOOL IN BEIRUT
The new France Médias Monde office in Beirut is housed within the ESA Business School (École Supérieure des Affaires). This partnership provides the newsroom with modern infrastructure, materials, and technical resources. The ESA Business School also serves as a hub of expertise, with faculty members offering valuable insights for journalists, particularly in economics, society, and environmental issues.
A PROJECT FUNDED BY PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT AID
France Médias Monde’s Arabic-language digital newsroom in Beirut is funded by France’s official development assistance budget (Programme 209: “Solidarity with Developing Countries”) under a multi-year grant from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This funding supports the group’s proximity-based strategy and commitment to independent journalism.
Three other projects are also supported by this initiative:
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In Dakar (Senegal), the Africa hub of France Médias Monde is expanding its pan-African digital offerings, targeting young audiences on social media, and developing a TV branch of France 24 for French-speaking Africa.
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In Bucharest (Romania), the Central and Eastern Europe hub is being reinforced with RFI Romania, RFI in Ukrainian, and ENTR in Romanian.
With its new Arabic-language newsroom in Beirut, France Médias Monde strengthens its role as a trusted source of information, bringing audiences closer to accurate, independent, and relevant news coverage.
[Source: FMM press release]
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