CBC to reopen Jerusalem and Beijing bureaus amid world news expansion

CBC/Radio-Canada to post journalists in 5 additional locations over next 2 years

Expansion 'will give Canadians a broader window on the world,' says Crystelle Crépeau, general manager for news and current affairs at Radio-Canada.

CBC/Radio-Canada is expanding its global news operations, reopening bureaus in Jerusalem and Beijing and establishing a joint presence in a handful of other locations around the world.

The network announced on Thursday that CBC News and Radio-Canada Info journalists would be posted in at least five expanded locations over the next two years: Beijing, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and a location in Europe that will be determined.

It will also build a permanent presence in Africa in the near future, while continuing to regularly deploy journalists to other countries around the world.

This new investment in international reporting comes at a time when the world, and Canada’s place within it, is rapidly changing, Brodie Fenlon, CBC News general manager and editor-in-chief, said in a statement.

Geopolitical, hemispheric, social and economic power dynamics are in significant flux, with many international stories now having a direct impact on Canada's economy, security and sovereignty.

CBC News and Radio-Canada Info currently have seven permanent bureaus: Istanbul, London, Mumbai, New York City, Paris, Taipei and Washington, D.C.

The network deploys reporters from those bureaus, as well as from Canada, to cover global news developments, and it sent news teams to 65 countries last year.

CBC/Radio-Canada previously had a bureau in China for more than 40 years, but it officially closed in 2022 (new window) when the public broadcaster couldn't get visas for its journalists to work there as permanent correspondents. CBC has also previously had correspondents stationed in Los Angeles and Mexico City.

In the release, the corporation also noted on Thursday that longtime Radio-Canada host Céline Galipeau will launch a new French-language international news program in the fall.

The weekly program will dig deeper into complex global events and showcase the work of Radio-Canada's world correspondents, the network said.

This expansion of our international news coverage will give Canadians a broader window on the world at a time when it is changing rapidly, said Crystelle Crépeau, general manager for news and current affairs at Radio-Canada.