LONDON: The French international news network France 24 announced on Wednesday that it will cut ties with a Lebanon-based journalist at its Arabic service following an investigation into antisemitic media posts.
“France 24 notified the production company which employs Joelle Maroun in Lebanon that the channel is ending all collaboration with this journalist because of the intolerant messages posted on her personal accounts,” the state-owned newscaster said in a statement.
The network described Maroun’s authenticated social media posts as “criminally reprehensible,” pointing out that “France 24 will also file a complaint against her for the damage done to the channel’s reputation and to the professionalism of its newsroom.”
On Monday, France 24 suspended four journalists at its Arabic service pending an internal investigation into allegations filed by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.
The media watchdog accused the journalists of making references to the Holocaust on their personal social media accounts, according to Politico news website.
After the investigation concluded, France 24 decided to reinstate the three other journalists provided they comply with “the standards of impartiality set out in France 24’s code of ethics, particularly regarding the principles governing personal accounts.”
France 24 highlighted that some of the posts made by the three journalists were found to be incompatible with its code of ethics.
