A European Youth Newsroom Takes Shape in Marseille: EU FACTOR Launches at the Frioul Islands

On 3 October 2026, the Marseille team of EU FACTOR – European Futures Against Crisis of Truth and Opportunities for Resilience came together for a launch day at the Frioul Islands, just a 20-minute boat ride from Marseille’s Vieux Port.

The day brought together young people aged 17 to 26 from Marseille’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 13th, 14th and 15th arrondissements. Some already knew one another through previous projects, while others were meeting for the first time. It was a great opportunity to exchange ideas, get to know each other and begin building a collective around media, information and civic engagement.

A community of young people already on the move

This group builds on the work carried out for many years by the Ligue de l’enseignement – Fédération des Bouches-du-Rhône (Ligue 13), which fosters opportunities for young people to meet, learn and engage collectively. Several participants had already taken part in shared initiatives, including the international solidarity mobility program Jeunes des 2 Rives, led by Solidarité Laïque, the Ligue 13 Youth Space, the Republican France Tour, Youth Service Cooperatives, and the Eloquencia public-speaking competition, in which many young people come together every year.

EU FACTOR therefore builds on existing connections while opening new opportunities for young people from different neighborhoods across Marseille, including priority urban neighborhoods. The aim is to enable them to work together on European issues and develop their own media projects.

Exploring information through hands-on activities

The day combined practical workshops, discussions and an introduction to the project’s objectives.

During an introductory workshop on media and information, participants explored how news is produced and how the same event can be presented in different ways. They then created a deliberately exaggerated fake TV news broadcast, experimenting with different perspectives, adapting their messages to their audiences and discovering the importance of an editorial line.

The group also reviewed the main stages of EU FACTOR, its partners, the content to be produced and the collective work planned for the coming months, alongside the upcoming training sessions.

Another workshop focused on artificial intelligence and its potential uses within the project. As young people will encounter these tools throughout their activities, the session encouraged them to reflect on how they are used, their limitations and the importance of using them consciously and responsibly.

A European project rooted in Marseille

Hosted at the Léo Lagrange Vacations For All center, the day also gave participants the opportunity to discover a remarkable natural environment just a few kilometers from the city center. The Frioul archipelago is part of the Calanques National Park and is a protected natural area that many Marseille residents have never had the opportunity to visit.

The day also marked the beginning of a collaboration with the professionals who will support the newsroom during its first months: Jean-Baptiste Mouttet, journalist and co-founder of Média Vivant, and Elias Bouaroua, co-founder of Massalia Vox and the association Eclore. They will contribute to the upcoming training sessions and support the young people as they develop their editorial skills and create their first pieces of content. Naël Boussatha, digital mediator at Ligue 13, was also present during the day.

In a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with new encounters, discussions and first experiments, the day laid the foundations for a strong collective dynamic.

The Marseille newsroom is officially underway: the next steps are learning together, developing critical thinking and creating media content that gives young people’s experiences and perspectives the place they deserve!