On Thursday afternoon, BFMTV journalists went on strike, a day of protests against the cost of living, to defend “the safety” of reporters and “the credibility” of the channel, which was in turmoil after being accused of relaying racist remarks, they announced on social media.
The 24-hour news channel aired footage of the protests. But, according to an internal source, management had recourse to freelance reporters and there were “fewer teams than expected on the ground.”
Several journalists posted on X a message justifying the strike by “the physical safety” of reporters on the ground and the “editorial credibility” of the channel.
“We are concerned about the image of our channel, which we love, having been degraded in recent weeks. The management does not seem to have heard the fears expressed by a broad majority of the editorial staff, the teams who work for the antenna,” the statement continues.
Management did not respond. From a union source, by late Thursday afternoon there were about 120 striking workers, mainly journalists and technicians, out of a workforce of around 1,200.
Since the start of the week, around 400 journalists and technicians have signed open letters to management denouncing a “trivialization of certain racist remarks” on air.
During the protests in France and after the Trappes attack, the information channel was accused by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and La France Insoumise of relaying racist remarks, notably by inviting far-right leader Éric Zemmour (Reconquête), which it strongly denied. Some of its journalists were targeted on the ground.
These external accusations echoed internal criticisms of journalist Sonia Mabrouk, who arrived this summer from CNews, a channel within the orbit of conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
“It is true that Sonia Mabrouk crystallizes hate” “outside” the channel and, “within BFMTV, you can feel this hate on the ground,” said Tuesday a senior BFMTV reporter, Igor Sahiri, a guest on the Quotidien program on the TMC channel.
The journalist, convinced by his management to “calm things down,” tempered his remarks in an article published Thursday evening in Le Figaro.
“My remarks about Sonia Mabrouk have been misinterpreted. She does not crystallize hate within BFMTV, but among those who attack us. At no moment did I wish for her departure, nor judge her work,” insisted Igor Sahiri.
On Wednesday, in an open letter, more than 200 journalists asked management for “concrete measures” to “cut with this image of a racist channel.”
Some measures have already been announced by CMA Media’s management, the group that owns BFMTV and the RMC radio.
The channel will notably establish an “invited guests unit” to strengthen “the diversity of profiles,” according to an internal memo sent Wednesday morning.
