Camélia Kheiredine is an independent journalist. She created and hosted the show Étiquette on Francetv.slash. She is a guest on the third season of Chemins, the podcast by Médianes.
In this episode of *Chemins*, I’m joined by Camélia Kheiredine, a freelance journalist who specializes in creating content for young audiences. For four years, she conceived and produced Étiquette, a show broadcast on France.tv Slash that challenged stereotypes surrounding identity, careers, and life experiences. After leaving that project in 2022, Camélia took a break to work as an educational coordinator in middle schools, before returning with new projects on ARTE. In this episode, Camélia talks to us about the choices that mark 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?
Trust as a driving force
Camélia Kheiredine got her start in journalism through a work-study program at France.tv Slash, France Télévisions’ digital platform aimed at young audiences. In this newsroom, which was still in the early stages of development, everything had yet to be figured out, and her supervisors gave her their full trust and freedom to come up with new formats.
“When I arrived, Slash had only been around for two years. I was told: ‘You know the 15–30 age group, you’re passionate about social media, so if you have ideas, if you want to create programs and come up with them, now’s the time.’ It was motivating to have so much freedom so early in my career.”
After a month, Camélia pitched *Étiquette*, a show aimed at debunking stereotypes about, for example, feminists, plus-size people, people with disabilities, and women who wear the hijab, and at giving a voice to those affected by the topics discussed.
“At the time, France was way behind compared to formats that were already in use in the United States or England. Journalists still took up a lot of space on set, as did the experts, while the people directly affected by the topic being discussed were reduced to mere extras.”
Camélia Kheiredine eventually creates her own media outlet within an existing organization.
“I told them how motivated I was, that I’d already thought it all through, and that I had a ton of episodes to pitch. Then everything happened very quickly: meetings with the production team, setting the budget, casting, putting together a team… All of that, even though I was just a newbie in the industry! After that, I seized every opportunity and spent my time pitching, pitching, pitching.”
At Slash, Camélia Kheiredine also launched and hosted the show *Désorienté·es* on Snapchat, designed to introduce young people to different careers; and *Ça Rec*, in which she traveled across France to give young people a voice—as 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 first launched, continuing it risked diminishing its initial commitment, impact, and relevance. When the show first launched, its goal was to give a voice to people affected by sensitive social issues, discrimination, or stereotypes. Over time, the topics began to run dry, and it became more difficult to come up with fresh angles.
“At one point, I thought to myself: if we keep going like this, we’re going to become a cliché of ourselves. What we were doing at the beginning was innovative. But if we start stretching it too far, we’ll lose what made us strong.”
A necessary break to preserve the project's integrity and avoid exhausting the audience.
All episodes are still available on the platform today.
Leaving France.tv Slash: between weariness and precarity
After four years, Camélia Kheiredine is leaving Slash. Her departure was motivated by a sense of weariness and by working conditions that had deteriorated due to the accumulation of precarious contracts (CDDUs, which are common in the audiovisual industry but are illegal for paying journalists).
“I left feeling disillusioned: the working conditions had really worn me down. After four years, I thought to myself, ‘Come on, guys, I’m the face of this project—I’ve devoted a lot of time and energy to it, and I’ve spearheaded so many initiatives. At some point, you’ve got to respect me! Public broadcasting is really lacking when it comes to 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 nerve-wracking, because I didn’t have a Plan B 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 chance to build a relationship with our target audience. All the formats I’d proposed and launched were my little babies. They were an extension of me, of my personality. But I had to spread my wings and try to reinvent myself somewhere else.”
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 really questioning my place in this field, my relationship with this profession—with journalism as a passion. I needed that break. I asked myself: Do I really want to be a journalist? Will I ever really find my place? At France.tv Slash, I’d found my place, but elsewhere, I didn’t see where I could 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, I’m sick of journalism, but I have another passion: working with young people. Since I love connecting with young people, I’d definitely like to visit middle schools to give presentations.’ And indeed, it turned out to be one of my most rewarding experiences. During that break, I realized just how much we journalists were stuck in our own little bubble, with story angles that went around in circles. Our stories often lack substance. That break helped me reconnect with reality. It gave me lots of new ideas and fresh perspectives. It’s out in the field that we find the meaning of our profession.”
Camélia Kheiredine emphasizes 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 just like us—you can’t be a journalist!’ That shows just how much the profession has been put on a pedestal. We need to break down that hierarchical relationship and reconnect with people.”
Speak up on social media
Since she started at Slash, Camélia Kheiredine has been sharing her daily life as a journalist on social media and promoting her various projects. There, she discusses what goes on behind the scenes in the profession, journalists’ working conditions, and the challenges she faces. While this visibility may seem like an asset, the journalist explains that it is actually a double-edged sword.
“On social media, I’m really open and honest. What I say are facts about the profession and working conditions. But I know that it closes doors, especially when you’re a woman of color, outspoken, and from a working-class background.”
Take back control
In addition to her work as an educational program coordinator, Camélia Kheiredine collaborates with ARTE as a Twitch video project manager. She has also launched her own podcast, *Death Is a Childhood Friend*, on ARTE Radio. Her passion for journalism remains undiminished, but she now refuses to let it become a source of constant pressure or frustration.
“Today, I’m working with ARTE, and I’m really happy about it. But that period after Slash really left its mark on me. It was a rough patch. I felt so uncomfortable, because everyone kept telling me, ‘Since you left Slash, we must have been calling you nonstop!’ But guys, it was nothing. Absolutely nothing. 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’ve learned to take a step back and choose only the projects that really excite me. Asking myself, “Why am I doing this job, for whom, and how?” helps me make the best decisions.”
"Chemins" is a podcast produced by Médianes. Season 3 is hosted by Marine Slavitch and produced by Morgan Prudhomme. The sound design is by Nicolas Peiron, and the visual design is by Christelle Perrin.
