Press play to listen to this article PARIS — Frightened of being denied their traditional rallies and handshakes in market squares due to COVID-19 restrictions, French politicians are turning to social networks such as Twitch, Instagram, and Clubhouse to get their message out. Twitch in particular, despite being better known as a platform for livestreaming video games, has seen a rush of attention. In the past few weeks alone, former President François Hollande, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal and even Prime Minister Jean Castex have turned to the platform for live chats, hoping to reach a new audience. A comment from Hollande on his biggest regret from his time as president of France — “not having run for re-election” — went viral and fueled speculation about his potential desire to return to politics. He was hosted on the personal channel of — and in the home of — journalist Samuel Étienne, a long-time TV host at national public broadcaster France Télévisions turned Twitch star. Étienne launched his channel in December with the goal of making a discussion of press highlights more interactive, and Hollande was his first interview guest. “It’s a wonderful space of liberty, there is a wonderful interactivity, it’s…
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French politicians turn to Twitch to brush up their comms
