21News
 | |
Website type | News website |
|---|---|
| Available in | French, Dutch |
| Headquarters | Belgium |
| Website | 21news |
| Launched | 2024 |
21News is a Belgian news website established in 2024. It is primarily aimed at a French-speaking audience, though publishes content in both French and Dutch.[1][2]
History
[edit]21News was launched in 2024 by Etienne Dujardin, a municipal councillor for the Reformist Movement political party.[3] It was conceived as a response to the perceived lack of ideological diversity and debate in existing Belgian francophone media. Dujardin has described 21News' editorial line as "centre-right" and compared it to the French newspapers Le Figaro and Le Point.[1][2] The site focuses on political and economic coverage, and features opinion pieces and contributions from external writers.[1][2]
The Bolloré Group (via the Lagardère Group) has a 20% ownership stake. Louis Sarkozy, son of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, is a board member and hosts a podcast on the website.[4][5][6]
2026 sanctioning
[edit]In 2026, 21News was sanctioned by the Belgian Council for Journalistic Ethics (CDJ) after publishing the full text of a speech given by U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the 2025 Munich Security Conference.[7] The regulator found that the outlet had failed to sufficiently contextualise or verify the content of the speech, arguing that publishing it without commentary risked disseminating unchallenged political messaging.[7][8] The decision was criticized by 21News and led to a broader debate about media freedom in Belgium, both within the country and internationally.[7][9]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "21News, nouveau site d'information en Belgique francophone: "On ne sera pas un média de type France Inter"". 7sur7. 22 October 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Pourquoi un nouveau média en Belgique francophone ?". 21News. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ↑ Chardon, Frédéric (2024-10-21). "21News, le nouveau média en ligne qui veut contribuer au pluralisme de la presse belge". La Libre.be (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ↑ Szeftel, Ève (2026-05-24). "Étienne Dujardin (21News) : "Aujourd'hui, le cordon sanitaire belge sert à exclure les voix dissidentes"". Marianne (in French). Retrieved 2026-05-27.
- ↑ "Via Lagardère, Bolloré entre au capital du média belge en ligne 21News". L'Echo (in French). 2025-09-03. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ↑ "Tel fils Derrière le podcast de Louis Sarkozy, le média belge «21News», financé par Lagardère et Vincent Bolloré". Libération (in French). 2025-09-18. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- 1 2 3 "Belgique : le média 21News sanctionné pour avoir publié un discours de JD Vance". Europe 1. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ↑ "Belgian media outlet officially reprimanded for publishing JD Vance speech in full". Brussels Signal. 5 March 2026. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
- ↑ Barthélemy, Alban (2026-03-29). "La Belgique francophone, le pays du cordon sanitaire médiatique où l'extrême gauche prospère". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-08.