INFORMATION AS A VOCATION

On January 26, 2025, at the end of his 9:30 pm news broadcast on TV5 Monde,

Dominique Tchimbakala surprised many viewers by announcing her upcoming departure from the channel. A few simple yet emotional words marked the end of an important chapter in her professional life. After fifteen years on air and seven years at the helm of "Journal Afrique," the journalist has chosen to step down from presenting to explore new horizons. "It's the end of an era," she confided, thanking the channel and the millions of viewers who have placed their trust in her over the years. For someone who has dedicated more than two decades to informing the public, this departure is not a break. It represents a continuation of her deep commitment to rigorous and accessible journalism.

I started at the late-night newspaper. The job I loved had finally caught up with me.

A PASSION BORN BETWEEN EUROPE AND AFRICA

For Dominique Tchimbakala, a passion for news has its roots in childhood. Born in the Paris region into a family where current events played a significant role, she grew up immersed in television news and debates on international politics. “I came from a family where we watched a lot of news. We talked about politics, international relations, and major world events,” she explains. At the age of ten, she left France to settle in the Republic of Congo with her family. This experience between two continents profoundly shaped her worldview and fueled her curiosity about international affairs. After attending school in the Francophone African system, she returned to France to pursue higher education. A brilliant student, she first completed preparatory classes in literature before earning a bachelor's degree in history and then a master's degree in political science from Paris Nanterre University. Her ambition was to pursue a career in international relations. However, an internship at the French Embassy in Ivory Coast would change everything.

Tasked with conducting a study on Ivorian demographics, she saw her work circulate among several government departments without ever measuring its concrete impact. “I was asked to produce a summary of Ivorian demographics. The document circulated in several ministries, but I never knew what it was used for. I needed to see the tangible impact of my work,” she explains. This realization acted as a catalyst. Journalism, which had long appealed to her, then appeared as the ideal way to combine analysis, knowledge dissemination, and concrete action on society.

To specialize, she enrolled at Sciences Com in Nantes, where she studied media management. She then completed her studies with a postgraduate diploma (DESS) in media management and joined the Centre for Training and Professional Development of Journalists (CFPJ) in Paris. Always eager to broaden her skills, she later obtained an Executive MBA from HEC Paris in 2021.

BEGINNINGS IN THE MEDIA

It was in Nantes that Dominique Tchimbakala truly discovered the world of journalism. Thanks to the micro-agency program set up by her school, she produced her first reports for Radio Fidélité and the Western Communication Center (CCO). Her seriousness, analytical skills, and on-air presence quickly caught the attention of her supervisors. One of her teachers, a journalist at France 2, recognized her potential and opened the doors of French public television for her. She then took her first steps in the late-night newsroom. "I started on the late-night news. The job I loved had finally caught up with me," she recalls fondly. This first experience marked the beginning of a rich and diverse career. Between 2003 and 2007, she worked for France 2, both in Paris and in the regions, where she honed her reporting skills and her expertise in the field. Curious and versatile, she has gained experience in various media formats, from television to print media, including radio and new digital media.

In 2007, she joined the program Le Magazine de la Santé on France 5. For nearly seven years, she participated in one of the reference programs of French audiovisual media devoted to medical and societal issues.

This experience strengthened her mastery of information processing and allowed her to acquire solid expertise in making complex subjects accessible to the general public. Over the years, Dominique Tchimbakala has established herself as a rigorous, committed, and respected journalist, whose career spanning Europe and Africa has fostered an open and profoundly humanist vision of information.

The Face of Journal Afrique: Alongside her work on French public television channels, Dominique Tchimbakala collaborates with TV5 Monde. This experience will profoundly shape her career. In 2018, she became one of the key figures on "Journal Afrique," a daily program followed by millions of viewers across the French-speaking world. Through her news reports and interviews, she strives to showcase a diverse Africa, far removed from the clichés often perpetuated by Western media. "It's important to show Africa as it truly is. Africa comprises 54 countries, cultures, languages, religions, and extremely diverse realities."

For her, reducing the continent to political crises, conflicts, or disasters is a major mistake. “Let’s not reduce Africa to coups and tragedies. We must also showcase its successes, innovations, talents, and creativity. There are still many prejudices to dismantle.” Over the years, she has also hosted major interview programs, notably “Internationales,” giving a voice to political leaders, intellectuals, artists, and civil society actors who are helping to shape the continent’s future.

A NEW BATTLE: MEDIA LITERACY

Upon leaving TV5 Monde on February 7, 2025, Dominique Tchimbakala is not turning her back on the news. On the contrary, she has chosen to tackle one of the major challenges of our time: disinformation. At a time when social media amplifies the spread of misleading content, she intends to equip the public with the tools necessary to understand and analyze information. "Information has become a real societal issue. With false information, tensions can be fueled, conflicts can be created, and social cohesion can be undermined." Particularly attentive to African realities, she emphasizes that the continent is currently at the heart of numerous battles for influence. "Africa is a major strategic space. Unfortunately, disinformation has become a weapon in the power struggles taking place there." Through conferences, training sessions, and educational content shared on social media, she now explains the mechanisms of information production and the methods for distinguishing facts from manipulation. “When citizens understand how journalists work, they become better equipped to identify what is credible and what is not.”

At a time when social networks are amplifying the circulation of misleading content, she intends to provide the general public with the tools necessary to understand and analyze information.

A MISSION IN SERVICE OF PEACE

For Dominique Tchimbakala, journalism has never been just a profession. It is, above all, a civic duty. For twenty-five years, she has provided information with rigor and professionalism. Today, she continues this mission in a different form, convinced that a better-informed society is a freer, more responsible, and more peaceful society. In a world confronted with the proliferation of fake news, her fight remains the same: to defend quality information, in service of truth and living together. “To inform is to enlighten. To understand information is to give ourselves the means to preserve democracy and social peace.”