Paris (France) (AFP) – Unease persists within BFMTV, accused of relaying racist comments, notably by LFI: the editorial staff of the news channel demanded measures on Wednesday to “cut away from this image of a racist channel”, after initial announcements made by management.

Published on: 04/11/2026 - 1:45 p.m.

“We want to rediscover the pride of working for BFMTV and no longer fear giving the name of our media in reporting or even in our private life,” wrote the SDJ (Society of Journalists) in a letter to management signed by more than 200 journalists and consulted by AFP.

After a similar letter sent at the beginning of the week by 160 technicians from the RMC BFM group, these journalists point to "editorial deviations" six months before the presidential election.

“We are concerned about the trivialization of certain racist or discriminatory remarks on our broadcast, sometimes relativized in the name of pluralism,” they assure. “Racist remarks constitute crimes, and our impartiality must never be confused with complacency.”

During the demonstrations in France and after the Trappes attack, the news channel was accused by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and LFI of relaying racist remarks, in particular by inviting far-right leader Éric Zemmour (Reconquête), which it strongly contested. Some of its journalists were attacked on the ground.

“Cropping”

These external accusations echoed internal criticisms which have been targeting journalist Sonia Mabrouk for several months, who arrived this summer from CNews, a channel owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.

In their letter, which follows a General Assembly on Monday, the journalists ask for “concrete measures” to “cut away from this image of a racist channel which absolutely does not represent (their) convictions”.

Among them, a “systematic and unequivocal reframing of discriminatory remarks by the presenters”, and “better monitoring of guests to avoid problematic personalities, but also the overly recurrent presence of some”.

The editorial team also asks that the reporting regain "first place" in relation to the debates, and considers it necessary to have "more balanced coverage of the demonstrations by stopping only taking the teams live when there is violence". “Calm is also information,” she writes.

Before sending this open letter at midday and then a new general meeting, certain measures have already been announced by the management of CMA Media, the group to which BFMTV and RMC radio belong.

The channel will thus equip itself with a "guest unit" to centralize requests for interviews with political leaders and strengthen "the diversity of profiles", according to an internal message sent Wednesday morning and consulted by AFP. This unit will report to Fabien Namias, the channel's general director.

Management supports Mabrouk

Another announcement, "the monthly publication of a barometer of pluralism" of the antennas to "take into account the diversity of guests, speakers and currents of thought".

These decisions “constitute neither a change of editorial line nor a recognition of the accusations made against our antennas but testify to the desire to defend our channels, unfairly accused”, underlines in this message Jean-Philippe Baille, deputy general director for information of CMA Media.

He also promises a “systematic and rapid response to false information” targeting the group’s media.

“I firmly contest the accusations insinuating that our channels trivialize racism,” insists Mr. Baille, stressing that the channel has “received no report from Arcom”, the audiovisual regulator.

“Receiving a personality does not mean sharing their beliefs or endorsing their comments. Our responsibility is to question them, verify their assertions and, if necessary, contradict them with the facts,” he argues.

As in recent months, he reaffirms the management's "full support" for Sonia Mabrouk in the face of an "unacceptable destabilization campaign". “Sonia Mabrouk conducts her broadcasts with nuance, professionalism and independence,” believes the manager.

© 2026 AFP

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.