Paris Médias 2024: already more than one million views of the content produced
Related project
Paris Médias 2024While athletes at the Olympic Games continue to deliver incredible sporting performances in Paris, another performance has exceeded CFI's expectations in the media field: more than one million views of the content produced in the run-up to the Paralympic Games by the eight journalists supported by the Paris Médias 2024 project. Testimonials.
The Paralympic Games are severely under-represented in the media offerings of North Africa and the Middle East. To compensate for this lack of visibility, CFI launched the Paris Médias 2024 project to give eight journalists from Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia an opportunity to cover the Paralympic Games by training them to cover this international event.
And the results are clear: the Games have not even started yet, and already all the media content published has attracted over one million views. This is the fruit of four months' work by the journalists, who have been winning over their audiences since May 2024 with new content showcasing people with disabilities and female athletes. This excellent performance is due not only to the inclusive messages conveyed by the content, but also to the digital marketing support provided, which boosted the virality of the published content.
The next step for these journalists will be to cover the Paralympic Games directly in Paris, from the venues of the various sporting events, from 28 August. As their audience is already secured, they will strive to build up loyalty to create a lasting journalist-audience relationship.
Testimonials
Faten Abi Faraj, a freelance journalist working with Asharq Al Awsat.com, explains her proudest achievement so far in terms of the content published. The content she has produced has already recorded an average of 200,000 accumulated views each.
"There are many stories that have had a real impact on me and it's difficult for me to choose just one, as I've learned something from all of them. For example, the story of a Paralympic runner, Arz, who lost his leg when he was three and overcame teasing and society by excelling in running. There is also the story of Shaimaa, an Egyptian woman who was paralysed by a medical error which completely changed her life, and who now plays badminton. Last but not least, Nadia and Ghazala taught me that dreams and ambitions have no age limit; they are both 50 years old, play their favourite sport and qualified for the Paralympic Games in Paris. I was deeply moved by all these stories, which have given me the strength, determination and perseverance to pursue my dreams and ambitions. These athletes are a source of inspiration in our lives and a source of strength for us all. They also taught me to never stop trying, to push myself and to tackle society to achieve my dreams, as the only disability in our lives is in our minds and not in our bodies. As long as our hearts continue to beat, we can reach for the stars, just like our Paralympic athletes."
Youssef Chani, journalist and co-host of Sportissimo on the 2M Moroccan radio station, explains his proudest achievement so far in terms of the content published.
"Of all the content I've managed to produce so far, my interview with Snissla Zouheir, captain of Morocco's blind football team, was the most moving for many reasons: I love football and as I play this sport I could put myself in the shoes of my friend who plays football even though he can't see. I was able to measure how difficult it is for blind footballers and the intelligence they need. Last but not least, despite the limited resources allocated to this sport, Morocco has made a name for itself in Africa with its five African Cup of Nations titles, as well as internationally with its bronze medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2020. Let's hope they win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Games, a dream that will begin on 1 September against Argentina (their first match in the group stage), at the foot of the Eiffel Tower."
Soulaimane Bakbach, a Moroccan freelance journalist working with Taja Sport, explains his favourite portrait. The portrait has already accumulated 6,500 views.
"I think the best video I've produced is the portrait of "Meriem Sabi: disabled but playing for a men's team". The video tells the story of an elderly female basketball player, who is disabled. Despite this, she continues to play a variety of sports, even though few teams are interested in this type of player in Marrakech (Morocco). What's more, she is shown in the video playing with men, as she has no chance of playing with women as there are no women's teams in Marrakech."
