TRT launches French-language news service
Turkey’s national broadcaster TRT has launched TRT Français, a digital platform dedicated to a French-speaking audience in 28 countries around the world. It will operate 24 hours a day covering politics, economy, culture and society.
The new digital platform is part of TRT’s global expansion plans. Based in Ankara, the public broadcaster already operates four other international services: TRT World (the English-language international TV and digital service), TRT Arabic, TRT Russian and TRT Deutsch.
Founded in 1964, TRT has been on its way to becoming a major international broadcaster since 2016, when its English-language news channel, TRT World, was launched.
In a statement, TRT chief executive Mehmet Zahid Sobaci said the public body’s new news platform was a “significant step” towards boosting foreign-language broadcasts.
“Like our other international services, TRT Français will carry out journalistic work that will reflect the values of impartiality and fairness, and which will allow users to better understand the outside world,” said Sobaci.
“The global audience will remain at the heart of our storytelling, and we will make sure to inform you in a balanced way. As a public broadcaster, we will continue to share trusted information and inspiring content with our audience,” he added.
TRT Français says that it “will produce original content in French on a daily basis. From news and analysis to reports and videos, the platform will bring fair and transparent journalistic content to French-speaking audiences around the world.”
“Our French-language platform will deliver rigorous, fact-driven journalism, with the aim of improving the lives of those who are disadvantaged and left behind. These will be honest investigations into all the major events that shape our world,” said Omer Faruk Tanriverdi, TRT’s Deputy Director General for International Broadcasts.
“We are not looking for numbers. We are interested in bringing out the truth, and simply aim to offer our service to the 76 million native French speakers and 274 million French speakers around the world,” added Tanriverdi.
Like TRT’s other international news platforms, the French version will publish content not only on its website, but also on other networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.