BBC World Service has officially announced the launch date of the BBC News Romania service, the new Romanian-language news platform of the British public service.
The new platform will be available from June 23 and will include its own website, dedicated pages on Facebook and Instagram, with YouTube and TikTok channels to be launched later.
The service will provide news and analysis on topics considered essential for the public in Romania and the Republic of Moldova: wars and conflicts, European and global politics, health, technology, climate change and the cost of living.
The new project is part of the expansion of the BBC World Service in Central and Eastern Europe and will run alongside BBC News Magyarul, the Hungarian-language service, which will be launched a week earlier on 16 June.
According to the BBC, the platform in Romanian will offer news and analysis about international and European current affairs, health, technology, climate and the cost of living, in a format adapted to digital consumption and social networks.
The service is addressed to the public from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the diaspora.
The BBC also announces the “responsible” use of translation tools based on artificial intelligence for publishing content in Romanian. The company’s representatives specify, however, that the materials will be selected and checked editorially by journalists, and the content assisted by AI will be labeled.
“In an era of global uncertainty, where press freedom is diminishing and misinformation is on the rise, providing independent and unbiased news is more important than ever.” said Fiona Crack, acting global director of BBC News.
Editorial coordination for BBC News Romania and BBC News Magyar will be provided by Kateryna Khinkulova.
“I am delighted to be leading a team of highly trained and experienced colleagues to deliver BBC-produced journalism in two more languages, Hungarian and Romanian. Our content is curated to deliver high-quality journalism that tackles topics that are particularly relevant to the audiences we serve. By launching services In these two languages, we want to extend our reach across the region, particularly to women and young audiences, offering the very best of BBC journalism.”said Kateryna Khinkulova.
The Romanian language service operated in Romania between 1939 and 2008.
