Sonia Dridi: Journalism Across Countries

Sonia Dridi is an accomplished foreign correspondent with experience in multiple countries. Currently, she reports for France24, RTBF, and BFMTV in Washington DC. She is an accredited White House correspondent, presently the only French journalist in the Foreign Press Group, and is in the heart of US politics with access on occasion to the Oval Office.

Dridi entered Sciences Po in 2003 for her Bachelor’s degree, and then attended the Journalism School in Paris, graduating in 2008. During her graduate studies, she apprenticed with BFMTV to gain firsthand experience alongside learning in the classroom: “Sciences Po was definitely a transformative experience. It allowed me to expand my worldview and horizon. The journalism school was great because we learned about TV, radio, and print individually before choosing one to focus on (I chose TV). We had amazing teachers, including some really great journalists.” 

During her Bachelor’s third year abroad in 2005-2006, Dridi attended UCLA which was another important part of her education, as she was able to experience an American university and unique courses there. That year included an internship in Washington DC, which she loved and set up the potential to return in the future. She was able to learn how US media and broadcasting stations compare with those in France. 

After graduating, she freelanced with several newspapers and media outlets in Paris. She had planned to stay in Paris, until the opportunity arose to be a corresponding journalist in Egypt with France24, which was especially relevant as she was interested in foreign affairs and the Middle East. She also thought, “it would be a great opportunity to do what I learned in school and to report on the ground. I was especially interested in focusing on women and the economy, before knowing I would have to cover a revolution.” 

The timing was notable as she arrived in Egypt in 2011, and stayed through 2015, which were during the years of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution and several presidential transitions between Hosni Mubarak and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Dridi was the first European journalist to interview El-Sisi. In addition to reporting she also produced two documentaries- one about sexual harassment and another reflecting one year after Tahrir Square. She said, “it was a fascinating time, very challenging as a journalist, but also where I could do the journalism I dreamed of- being there when things happen, traveling around the country and talking to people.” 

When Dridi arrived in the US in the summer of 2015, she was about to report on more significant political change, as Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president. She also found Washington DC fascinating, as there is a lot going on behind the scenes that affect other parts of the world. As a foreign journalist, she had to work hard to understand how American government institutions function and the networks within them. Eventually, she received her White House credentials and covered the first Trump administration, joining the pool of other foreign reporters who have more selective access to the president. 

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Dridi received a proposal to write a book about Joe Biden, which became his first French biography. It was a sometimes challenging, but rewarding experience. While writing, she was able to interview people close to Biden, such as Antony Blinken before he became Secretary of State and several members of congress. 

She continues to report from the White House, now in her fourth presidential term. She upholds the importance of journalism being “one of the powerful tools to hold leaders and governments accountable, to challenge lies and give voice to the voiceless. The use of social media in recent years has changed the way people receive information and also had a deep impact on the trust towards journalists. But I think professional journalism is and will stay an essential way to inform the public and help people develop a better understanding of events, in those challenging times around the world.”