The new website, product of a joint-venture, should go live by the end of the year

Oct 10, 2011 13:30 GMT  ·  By

The Huffington Post, the sometimes criticized but undoubtedly popular "news and opinion" website, is branching out with its third international expansion in France. It became available in the UK earlier this year and in Canada before that, but the French version will be the first non-English edition.

Imaginatively titled Le Huffington Post, not that they had that many choices, the new site will go live sometime before the end of the year and is a joint venture with several big local players.

The Huffington Post is teaming up with Le Monde, one of the most respected newspapers in the country, as well as Les Nouvelles Editions Independantes for the new website which will be largely modeled on the American version with additional reporting by the old school journalists from the local partners.

"Le Huffington Post will combine the local editorial resources of Le Monde, one of France's leading and most widely respected dailies, with The Huffington Post's pioneering combination of original reporting; aggregation; a leading-edge commenting forum and dynamic social engagement tools; and a vibrant platform for a wide range of bloggers," the new group said in a statement.

"LNEI will contribute original editorial content through its network of journalists and bloggers. M Publicite, part of The Le Monde group, will partner on the site's advertising. Each of the three partners will be shareholders in Le Huffington Post," it added.

The new site will merge with Le Monde's existing Le Post. It will be entirely run by a French staff and by French journalists. The plan is to have it open by the end of 2011.

The Huffington Post, which has been relatively recently acquired by AOL, has plans to set up shops in other places. Next up on the list are Brazil, where talks are underway, but also Spain, Turkey and Italy.