Prosecutors open hate speech probe against French rolling news channel CNews

Bally Bagayoko of the La France insoumise (France Unbowed – LFI) party and new mayor of Saint-Denis poses for selfies, as he attends the Eid al-Fitr prayers, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, at Stade Auguste-Delaune in Saint-Denis, near Paris, France, March 20, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - The ⁠Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday it had opened an ⁠investigation into French news channel CNews for possible hate speech ‌after alleged racist comments about Bally Bagayoko, the newly elected Black mayor of Parisian suburb Saint-Denis.

At the centre of the case is CNews, the rolling news channel controlled ​by French tycoon Vincent Bolloré's Vivendi group, ⁠which critics have likened to ⁠Fox News for its opinion‑driven format and polarising tone.