Since February 27, 2025, France Médias Monde has established a new hub in Beirut, Lebanon. Situated in the heart of the 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.
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.
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.
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.
The Beirut regional hub has been announced as a key element of France Médias Monde’s strategy to cultivate public trust by maintaining geographic and linguistic proximity to its audiences.
