The International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) published its first resource for journalists in 1998. We offered a single webpage at the time, only in English.
We’ve grown quite a bit in the 22 years since. In the early 2000s we added Spanish and Portuguese. Later, we expanded to Arabic, Persian, Russian and Chinese.
Need proof? Enjoy this (decade-old) video.
Today, we’re excited to unveil IJNet French as — count it — our eighth language channel. It’s the next major step we’re taking to equip as many journalists as possible, in all corners of the globe, with the support they need.
Never has this been more important than now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our new language site will allow us to share critical crisis-related tips with journalists and media professionals in the French-speaking world — from West Africa, Quebec, the Caribbean, France and more.
On IJNet French today we have a glossary of key terms for covering the pandemic, advice for leading a team during times of crisis, and digital security tips. We’re working on articles on how to counter disinformation about COVID-19, and data journalism initiatives around the pandemic. We’ll produce translations of original IJNet content, and post training and professional opportunities for French-speaking journalists to further their careers.
Who’s leading this effort?
Our French editor is Sophie Bonnevialle-Chesneau, a journalist with 10 years’ experience as a reporter and editor at outlets in France, including Grazia, Zoomdici, L’Essor-Affiches and Le Progrès.fr. For the past three years she has worked in the United Nations’ editorial department.
Our French translator is Sedera Ranaivoarinosy, a freelance writer, journalist and translator, and a 2020 Solutions Journalism Network mentee. Her work has appeared in Carenews, La Tribune, The Huffington Post and The Coven Girl Gang.
As we get going, we’ll want to hear from you — our new IJNet French readers. Pitch articles to us, on the many different aspects of reporting during this pandemic. Engage with us on Twitter and Facebook. Join the IJNet Forum. Follow IJNet on Instagram. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Across our language sites, we bring our readers expert resources. We offer deep-dive toolkits on topics like media entrepreneurship, collaborative journalism, multimedia reporting and journalism basics — all accessible in multiple languages. Our most recent is a Persian-language toolkit on crowdsourced reporting.
Our podcast series, IJNotes, profiles journalists’ behind-the-scenes efforts. We use our Instagram to spotlight the work of photojournalists around the world.
And when COVID-19 turned the world upside down this year, we jumped into action to support journalists as they reported on the pandemic, across all our languages.
Today is, literally, just the start of IJNet French. We look forward to supporting your work.
IJNet French is made possible thanks to support from Google.org.