Yes, we can!

I’m a sports junkie. As such, I’m delighted when I can tie up work and sports. Well, France 24 did that for me. Weekly Le Journal du Dimanche reports that France 24 asked several advertisers to rebound on the Obama inauguration with a short clip. Since it just so happens that the Football World Cup qualifiers are taking place at this very moment (we’re talking football that’s played with feet, here, and by the way the US plays Mexico this Wednesday at 4:00 PST), the French Football Federation decided to put together this video, which supposedly aired on France 24 (I say supposedly because this is what is reported by Le Journal du Dimanche – I haven’t actually seen it on France 24, and a search on the France 24 website does not retrieve the video)


Video title: Can France qualify for the 2010 World Cup?




I’m not sure what to make of it, as far as our standpoint is concerned, so I’ll just throw these few hypotheses on the table, keeping in mind that the video originally only aired on France 24, not on domestic broadcast:

- France wants to show the US that it still loves the US, despite the abuse we had to suffer from the last administration? By making an Obama reference, the country shows that it understands the previous administration was not necessarily representative of the country as a whole, and that it welcomes the new administration? (Note: like in many other countries, Obama is hugely popular in France. In fake voting polls held in France, Obama won the election in a landslide; I recall something over 75%). In this hypothesis, the message would be addressed to the Obama administration and whoever in the US watched France 24.

- White diplomacy: we read last week about how sports were used as a tool for white diplomacy. This video, however, hardly seems to promote France as a whole, or French culture. Since it aired on France 24, it is more likely that it is directed towards French expats. As in: “ we’re not forgetting you, you’re still part of the French community, don’t forget your country.” What I’m not sure is what this kind of propaganda is called, reminding expats that they are still part of the national community. Is it part of white propaganda? Is it something of its own? What purposes does it serve – getting expats to come back to the homeland? Getting expats to become ambassadors for their own country, wherever they are?

Multilingualism on France 24

France 24 boasts itself as a truly multilingual channel. Not only does it broadcast is 3 languages (French, English and Arabic), but it creates original content in all three languages, which mirror each other at certain times. The French-German channel Arte creates original content in two languages, but only broadcasts one show at any given time: if the show is in German, it will air in German in Germany, and in German subtitled in French, in France. And the other way around. France 24, on the other hand, will produce the same type of show multiple times in multiple languages, and will air the shows at the same time.

For example, on Tuesday, February 3, between 14:30 and 15:00 PST, one who would watch the English channel of France 24 would witness an interview show called “The Debate”. The interviewer was a native English speaker. Around the interview table where two interviewees, seemingly native English speakers. The theme of the debate was “Can we avoid protectionism.” At the exact same time, on the French channel, the program was an interview show called “Le Débat”. The interviewer as a native French speaker. The interview table, and the set generally, were the exact same as those of “The Debate.” Two native French speakers served as interviewees, and were debating the topic “Le protectionnisme, un mal necessaire?”, i.e. “is protectionism a necessary evil.” The show were therefore essentially the same, but produced twice in two different original languages. At the same moment, the Arabic channel broadcasted the French show, in the original French language, without dubbing or subtitles. It is unclear why the Arabic channel did not have its own show. Maybe it is because of lack of resources. Maybe it is because France 24, as a proponent of French values, wants to maintain the influence of the French language on the Arab world.

This situation does not seem to take place at all times, however. For example, On Feburary 5 at 12:45 PST, the French and Arabic channels broadcasted a live interview of French President Sarkozy, while the British channel was broadcasting a taped talk show. This seems to indicate that France 24, in general, does not translate material.

I will keep browsing the 3 channels every time I check out a program on France 24, to establish a pattern regarding multilingualism.