The mission of France's newly launched English-language news station, France 24, is "to cover worldwide news with French eyes." This may sound simple, but dig a little deeper and it has broad implications for the communications world.

France has traditionally been a diehard opponent of anything that smacks of America's global prominence and popularity. That includes the growing ubiquity of English as the internationally recognized lingua franca -- a title previously enjoyed by the French. Which is why, in March, French president Jacques Chirac stormed out of a European summit in Brussels when French business leader Ernest-Antoine Seilliere announced that he would make an important speech in English, "the language of business."

It would seem then at first blush that Chirac, who masterminded France 24, is throwing in the towel. Au contraire. Chirac has, in fact, finally changed his tactics and decided to try to win the world over in a language that it understands.

As noted in a Christian Science Monitor article:

The mission of France 24, according to the charter which its staffers must sign, is to spread French values, culture and -- art de vivre -- throughout the world.

The article goes on to say:

[France 24] is also banking on the novelty of its "French regard" on the news, including deeper coverage of Europe, Africa and the Arab world than its competitors provide.

Communicators take note. While France's opposition to the Iraq war is well known, its positions on many other issues, such as African, Arab-Israeli and European affairs and even on how to do business, are much less familiar to the American public. And they're often just as contentious.

So with many curious Americans tuned into France 24 and hearing news with a charming French accent, our interpretation of world events and the way we report on them could begin to incorporate something of a French perspective.