FRANCE 24 concludes audit of four journalists from its Arabic language service

Issued on: 15/03/2023 - 
France 24

After a journalist and three Arabic-language correspondents of FRANCE 24 were accused of certain comments posted on their personal social media pages, the management of the channel immediately launched an audit.

Pending the results of this audit, the four concerned were excused from their job duties to protect the integrity of the work of the entire Arabic language channel editorial staff of FRANCE 24, whose content, both on-air and on digital platforms, make it a balanced, non-partisan channel, verifying facts and cultivating constructive debates through the professionalism of its journalists. As in all the language services of FRANCE 24, a multilingual and multicultural channel, the Arabic-language channel distinguishes itself every day by its commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism, racism, and discrimination, and its respect for secularism.

Following the audit that authenticated the posts, FRANCE 24 notified the production company which employs Joëlle Maroun in Lebanon that the channel is ending all collaboration with this journalist because of the intolerant messages posted on her personal accounts, which are the antithesis of the values defended by the international channel and are criminally reprehensible. FRANCE 24 will also file a complaint against her for the damage done to the channel’s reputation and to the professionalism of its newsroom.

As for the three other journalists, some of their messages posted on social media appear to be incompatible with the standards of impartiality set out in FRANCE 24’s code of ethics, particularly regarding the principles governing personal accounts. Management has issued a reminder: personal use of social networks must strictly respect these ethical guidelines, and these journalists are expected to clearly adhere to it. Their collaboration with FRANCE 24 will be able to continue within this framework.

In addition, joint work will be undertaken by the management and the journalists' associations, within the framework of the France Médias Monde’s ethics commission, to further develop the principles of the charter that govern the use of the personal accounts of employees on social networks. The scope of the monitoring of the channel's "e-reputation" will also be expanded in the coming days.