At the age of 60, Jean-Francois is weak with multiple diseases, which is why he travels back and forth from Cambodia to France for medical treatment.
His double nationality gives him the freedom to travel almost anywhere he wants. As a journalist with knowledge and experience, he has complete freedom of expression.
With his Khmer, he is able to perform for local audiences, and Cambodians love him for that. With a French-Khmer accent and smart political and economic analyses, people enjoy listening to him.
For now, he is one of the best journalists in Cambodia. He is seen as an idol and an inspiration by thousands of new journalists.
The question is, why?
Compared to any modern journalist, he might not be able to be a super star, but his place in Cambodia is unique. As a result of the limitations on free speech in Cambodia, many great journalists have left their careers or even left the country. He managed to create a formula of a free speech man in Cambodia by remaining neutral to his subject without attacking anyone.
How did he get here?
It’s France! He was among the thousands who fled the country during Khmer Rough. In France, he studied literature and earned a diploma. Even so, he has an entrepreneurial mind. He was one of the first batch of returning citizens in the early 1990s. With the help of an equally Khmer-French friend, he saw an opportunity to purchase a radio broadcast license. In Batthambang province, he began this co-venture radio station. At that time, Cambodia did not have a radio with deep analytic news. It was VAYO, which is also currently broadcasting in Phnom Penh.
However, his journey with VAYO has come to an end, and he saw an opportunity to represent an international French radio station in Cambodia, RFI. This is a free package from a French investor in terms of money, branding, and marketing. All he has to do is run the show! In addition to his salary, he owns the right to RFI Cambodia’s digital platform.
Eventually, he mastered his show. The topics he discusses are always interesting. This is pure entertainment for the local audience. Everyone loves it, especially youth with good education backgrounds. In order for his staff to perform well, he taught them how to do it. Now most of them are great local journalists in Cambodia.
As Jean-Francois nears retirement, he won’t be able to perform as well as he used to. He leaves his mark through books. Since the last decade, he has authored multiple books, mostly about economic and political analysis of the western world and China.
So what's next?
The day will come when Jean will return to his country, France. His final decade must be filled with health care and enjoyment. How does this affect Cambodia? At the very least, we should remember him as a great journalist for Cambodian audiences for the show he performed.
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