 After a short period writing for the judicial column of the "Journal de Genève", Chaponnière joined the Swiss francophone television company Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR).Between 1983 and 1993, she was a reporter for the TV shows "Tell Quel", "Temps présent", and "Viva".She served as a TSR correspondent between 1993 and 1997 in Brussels, Belgium in charge of European issues.