Appointments to AFP’s Executive Committee (COMEX): Pauline Talagrand, Claudia Rahola and Marion Thibaut
Pauline Talagrand, Deputy News Director in charge of Artificial Intelligence and Editorial Innovation
Pauline Talagrand will drive the roll-out of AI in the newsroom from July. Working closely with AFP’s technical, marketing, and sales departments, she will be in charge of harnessing AI to bolster the Agency’s journalism, focusing on accurate and fast on-the-ground reporting, with a human touch and exclusive content – grounded in AFP’s ethical and editorial principles. She will work to ensure that AFP’s content evolves to meet our clients’ expectations.
Pauline Talagrand joined AFP in 2006. After covering the police and justice beat, she was deputy chief editor of digital investigation (2019-2022), helping to establish AFP as a world leader in factchecking. Strongly committed to the better representation of women, she piloted a study with fellow AFP journalist Aurelia End that led to editorial and structural changes at the Agency. She also sat on expert committees at Arcom and Viginum. Since Autumn 2025, she has been a deputy in the chief editor’s office working on diversity and AI issues, while also finishing an Executive Masters programme in AI at the Institut Mines-Télécom.
She will take over from Sophie Huet, who will leave the agency in July. AFP would like to pay tribute to the exceptional career of Sophie that passed through Rennes, Washington, London and Marseille, before becoming head of the general news department, graphics and then global chief editor from 2019-2024. At the News Director’s department, her work on AI has enabled AFP to intelligently integrate generative AI in the newsroom, with platforms such as AFP Translate and AFP Scribe. Sophie also launched the strategic work with Sopra Steria on changing the Agency’s future workflows.
Claudia Rahola, Deputy News Director in charge of photo
Claudia Rahola will take up her new job on May 2. Her deep knowledge of the AFP network, in France and abroad, as well as her expertise in career management, will be major advantages as she manages AFP’s photo production and defines its strategy. Working closely with photo management teams in Paris and around the world, she will oversee priority projects such as the impact of AI on visual production and the C2PA authentication standard, in coordination with the video and editorial innovation management team.
A Spanish national, Claudia Rahola joined AFP in 1995 on the Spanish desk in Paris. During her career, she has covered several major events over multiple international postings, from Los Angeles to correspondent in London. She has also worked in the global chief editor’s team, as well as taking on management roles, becoming head of the Spanish desk. Since 2022, she has been in charge of journalist movements and projects in the News Director’s department.
Claudia Rahola is replacing Eric Baradat, who recently resigned.
Marion Thibaut, Latin America Director
Marion Thibaut will take up her new job in September, based in Bogota. In addition to running the Latin America region, she will also be in charge of orchestrating the structural and operational rapprochement of the LatAm and North America regions, following AFP’s timezone strategy. She will work with Marc Lavine, North America director, to create a coherent editorial structure from this vast “Americas” zone.
Marion Thibaut joined AFP in 2007 after being a stringer in the Balkans. After beats in the economics and general news departments, her career led her to Bangkok, before returning to Paris as deputy head of the general news department. Since summer 2021, she has been running the Montreal bureau, while also playing an active role in the North America chief editor’s department. For six years, she sat on the board of the media education association “Entre les lignes.”
Marion Thibaut replaces Maria Lorente, whose remarkable work management wishes to praise. Over the course of five intense years running the LatAm region, Maria Lorente bolstered and restructured the Bogota bureau to make it an irreplaceable hub for the Agency in the region. She also successfully oversaw the coverage of complex and intense news events, from historic political upheavals to migration crises, not forgetting events in Venezuela and Cuba. She will continue her AFP career, becoming Madrid bureau chief from October 1.