Key facts
- CNews, owned by Vincent Bolloré, has significantly hardened its right-wing editorial stance.
- The channel's coverage increasingly aligns with the agenda of far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
- CNews hired Xenia Fedorova, a former Russia Today employee whose commentary mirrors Russian official statements.
- Fedorova was expelled by French authorities for threatening national interests.
- The channel is under investigation for hate speech following comments comparing a Black mayor to apes.
- CNews has become France's most-watched free-to-air news channel, influencing political discourse.
CNews, a French news channel owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has adopted an increasingly hard-right editorial line, drawing parallels to Fox News in the United States and aligning its agenda with far-right leader Marine Le Pen's National Rally party. This shift is seen as significant ahead of France's upcoming presidential election.
Sources, including current and former employees, regulators, and rivals, attest to a hardening of the channel's stance, exemplified by the removal of pundit Philippe Bilger after he criticized Israel's actions in Gaza and defended the conviction of ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy. Despite a relatively small audience share, CNews' influence on the political agenda is considerable, with political advisors and even the presidential palace reportedly following its coverage.
The channel's alignment with the far-right worldview is further highlighted by its hiring of Xenia Fedorova, formerly of the pro-Kremlin Russia Today. A French Foreign Ministry analysis found Fedorova's commentary mirrored Russian official statements on topics like EU aid to Ukraine. Fedorova was later expelled by France's Interior Ministry for threatening national interests and public order, though her employers called it an attack on free speech.
CNews' rise from a 1% market share at its 2017 launch to profitability and becoming France's most-watched free-to-air news channel is attributed by supporters to meeting demand for marginalized viewpoints. However, critics, like Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez of France Télévisions, view Bolloré's media empire as a tool to denigrate public broadcasting, potentially aiming for more licenses under a future National Rally government. The channel is also facing investigation for hate speech after panelists compared a Black mayor to apes.
Bolloré himself describes his stance as "Christian Democrat" and denies interfering with CNews' output, though he admits to occasionally "flagging" topics and recommending people. Critics like former editor Laurent Joffrin suggest Bolloré holds traditional religious views and believes France is in decline due to immigration, necessitating the defense of Christian civilization.