illustration Ivan Debs
At almost 100 years old, is it not time for L'Orient-Le Jour to start a small revolution of its own?
For the past 95 years, L'Orient, Le Jour, then L'Orient-Le Jour, have been covering the news for you in French. For 95 years, we have been carrying the torch of francophony. And we intend to continue doing so for the next 95 years and more.
But our attachment to francophony, to all that it carries of culture, values and History, can not and must not prevent us from engaging in new linguistic experiences.
In the past few years, we have made a few experiments with specific projects in English: for the "Impact Journalism Day", and for our series, "Lebanons of the USA". Those were experiments conducted on our website and the results were positive. It turned out that we have an actual readership for these articles in English.
Today, we decided to take it up a notch and launch a special section in English, in which English translations of a selection of our articles will be available. Reports, on Lebanon or in the region, analyses, profiles, reviews, investigations... Translating these articles allows us to go further in our mission: to give you the keys to better understand this complicated region, allow you to build on it for a reflection of your own and give you an enlightened opinion on the big problems of Lebanon, the Middle East and beyond.
It seems interesting for us today to translate these articles into English for two main reasons.
L’Orient-Le Jour has always been a newspaper committed to defending certain values. For the respect of human rights, for equality, for the protection of the environment, for freedom of expression, for the promotion of living together, for the dialogue of cultures and peoples. Today, these values are, more than ever, threatened. And defending them is, more than ever, vital. With English, it seems possible to carry these values even further. Beyond, in any case, our circle of already faithful readers. To carry them, especially, in the heart of a Middle East that needs them terribly, and whose youth (pillar of the future) is often more English-speaking than French-speaking.
English is also, and above all, another channel for reinforcing links between those of you who are part of the Lebanese diaspora, and have more affinity with the language of Shakespeare than with that of Molière.
Today, we are convinced that French is never as vulnerable as when it is isolating itself. It is by opening up to other languages, especially to English, that it becomes stronger. That is why we are embarking on this anglophone adventure. This is an experiment ; your feedback, your comments, are essential and our ears wide open.
And finally, please believe that this experience does not change our attachment, our commitment, our penchant for this French language that we have and will continue to share.
