In this episode of Chemins, I'm speaking with Camélia Kheiredine, an independent journalist specializing in creating formats for young audiences. For four years, she created and led Étiquette, a show broadcast on France.tv Slash that deconstructed stereotypes around an identity, a profession, or a life experience. After leaving the project in 2022, Camélia took a break to become an educational coordinator in middle schools, before returning with new projects on ARTE. In this episode, Camélia talks to us about the choices that shape a creative and committed career: how do you chart your own course in traditional media? And what does it mean to let go of a project that doesn't belong to you?
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- Trust as a driving force
Camélia Kheiredine started her journalism career through an internship at France.tv Slash, the digital platform of France Télévisions aimed at young audiences. In this newsroom that was still taking shape, everything had to be invented, and her supervisors gave her full trust and freedom to come up with new formats.
"When I arrived, Slash had only existed for two years. I was told: 'You know the 15-30 age group target, you're passionate about social networks, so if you have ideas, if you want to create programs, to imagine them, now is the time.' It was motivating to have so much freedom so early in my career."
After a month, Camélia pitches Étiquette, a show aimed at deconstructing stereotypes about, for example, feminists, overweight people, people with disabilities, women who wear the veil, and giving a voice to people affected by the topics covered.
« At that time, France was far behind formats that already existed in the United States or England. Journalists always took up a lot of space on set, as did experts, and the people affected by the topic being discussed were basically just there for appearance. »
Camélia Kheiredine eventually creates her own media outlet within an existing organization.
« I told them how motivated I was, that I'd already imagined everything, that I had tons of episodes to pitch. Everything then moved very quickly: meetings with production, setting the budget, casting, assembling a team… All of that while being a complete newcomer to the industry! After that, I seized every opportunity and spent my time pitching, pitching, pitching. »
At Slash, Camélia Kheiredine also launched and presented on Snapchat the show Disoriented, aimed at introducing young people to different careers; and Ça Rec, in which she travelled across France to give young people a voice, always.
- Knowing when to stop a format at the right time
After two years and fifty episodes, Étiquette is coming to an end. While the format met a need when it launched, continuing risked diminishing its original commitment, impact and relevance. When the show first aired, it set out to give a voice to people affected by sensitive social issues, discrimination and stereotypes. Over time, the topics began to run out and angles became harder to refresh.
" At some point, I said to myself: if we keep going like this, we're going to become a cliché of ourselves. What we were doing at the start was innovative. But if we start pulling the thread too hard, we're going to lose what made us strong. "
A necessary break to preserve the project's integrity and avoid exhausting the audience.
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- Leaving France.tv Slash: between weariness and precarity
After four years, Camélia Kheiredine leaves Slash. Her departure is driven by a sense of burnout and deteriorating working conditions stemming from the accumulation of precarious contracts (CDDUs, frequently used in audiovisual media yet illegal for paying journalists).
« I left feeling bitter: the working conditions frankly wore me down. After four years, I said to myself, come on, guys, I embody this, I give a lot of time and energy to this project, I've driven lots of formats, at some point, respect me! Public broadcasting is really unstable on these issues. »
This departure meant the journalist had to say goodbye to projects she had initiated, but which did not belong to her.
« It was daunting, because I had no backup plan for what came next, it was a leap into the unknown and I was sad. I loved my job, the freedom I was given and the fact of building a relationship with our audience. All the formats I had proposed and launched were my little babies. It was an extension of me, of my personality. But I had to move on and try to reinvent myself elsewhere. »
- A break to reinvent yourself
When she left, Camélia Kheiredine took a six-month break. This time away allowed her to process the four years she'd spent there, and to reflect on her place in journalism.
« I was questioning a lot my place in this field, my relationship to this profession, to passion-driven work. I needed this break. I asked myself: do I really want to be a journalist? Will I really find my place? At France.tv Slash, I had found my place, but elsewhere, I couldn't see where to go. »
To break out of the journalism bubble, Camélia Kheiredine chose to work for six months as an educational liaison officer, supporting at-risk young people in making their career choices after completing lower secondary school.
« I told myself, okay, journalism had worn me out, but I have another passion: young audiences. If I love meeting young people, I'd surely want to go into schools and do workshops there. And indeed, that turned out to be one of my most enriching experiences. With this break, I realized how much we journalists were in our own bubble, covering the same angles over and over. Our stories often lack concrete detail. With this break, I reconnected with reality. It gave me tons of new ideas, tons of new angles. It's in the field that we find the meaning of our work. »
Camélia Kheiredine insists on the importance of journalism that is more accessible, inclusive and authentic.
" When I told young people I was a journalist, they didn't believe me: "But you talk like us, you can't be a journalist!" It shows how much the profession has been put on a pedestal. We need to break this hierarchical dynamic and reconnect with people. "
- Speak up on social media
Since joining Slash, Camélia Kheiredine has been sharing her daily life as a journalist on social media and promoting her various projects. She discusses the behind-the-scenes aspects of the profession, journalists' working conditions, and the challenges she faces. While this visibility may seem like an advantage, the journalist explains that it is actually a double-edged sword.
« On social media, I'm completely transparent. What I say are facts about the profession, about working conditions. But I know that closes doors, especially when you're a racialized woman, outspoken, and from a working-class background. »
- Take back control
Alongside her work as an educational project manager, Camélia Kheiredine collaborates with ARTE as a Twitch video project lead. She has also released her own podcast, Death Is a Childhood Friend, on ARTE Radio. Her passion for journalism remains intact, but she now refuses to let it become a source of constant pressure or frustration.
" Today, I work with ARTE and I'm very happy about it. But that period after Slash really marked me. It was a crossing of the desert. I was too uncomfortable, because everyone kept telling me: "Since you left Slash, we must have had to call you crazy!" But guys, it was nothing. Nothing at all. Now, I don't want journalism to be the center of my life anymore. It's a passion, but it's also a precarious and demanding profession. I learned to step back and only choose projects that really move me. Asking yourself the question: why do I do this job, for whom and how, that helps you make the best decisions. "
To go further
- Incarnation, recruitment of young people, adaptation of existing content… Here's how several French and international media outlets embraced video on social networks.
- Far from being mere window dressing, humor can strengthen public engagement and make information more accessible.
- This article provides 10 essential recommendations for independent media, and highlights key principles such as inclusivity, accessibility, and transparency. The idea? To work toward building horizons more aligned with society's needs and rebuilding connections with audiences.
- Freelance journalists face numerous challenges. In particular, there is a lack of understanding about how they work and what issues they face. So how can you improve collaboration with freelancers? Advice from CFDT-Journalistes.
- Management is often seen as the weak point in media, mainly due to the lack of training for people who find themselves leading journalism teams. Yet several situations can lead journalists to take on management positions and oversee teams. How can you take care of your human resources?
