The Truth, that Uncomfortable Visitor in the Age of Digital Manure
It seems that the fake news pandemic is the only one that has not managed to find an effective vaccine, and journalists, gathered at the 10th International Congress of the Spanish Language, have come to the fore to declare a state of emergency. At the table entitled with the subtle elegance of “Falsified news. The power of lies”, our heroes of the key agreed that we live in a world where a hoax turns around more than a coin in a washing machine. The director of the Cervantes Institute, Luis García Montero, with the solemnity of a poet who has seen too much, stated that we must flee from dogmas. What a revelation, right now, when dogmas are the highlight of the digital menu.
At the Mario Vargas Llosa Library, García Montero, who must feel like a philologist in a bar fight, assured that ideologies have the goal of convincing and creating a reality. Come on, it’s not about informing, but about building a reality show tailored to you. And in this great spectacle, the substitution of reality for virtuality grows on something that, apparently, still matters for journalism: the need to inhabit truthful information. Because, of course, reporting is not the same as communicating. It’s one thing to give data and another to drop a WhatsApp message with seventeen screaming emojis.
Journalism in the Dungheap: A Survival Guide
And here comes the jewel in the crown, the phrase that should be engraved at the entrance of all newsrooms: “If one works in a dunghill or produces manure or is out of the game.” What an elegant way to describe the current crossroads. The dilemma is existential: are you part of the problem, are you the problem, or have you been marginalized for refusing to be? García Montero painted a bleak picture, but with a touch of hope: between social networks and the media in the hands of millionaires who want to communicate in favor of their own interests, journalists have it very complicated. Wow, who would have thought, that tycoons with their own agendas could be an obstacle to impartial journalism.
He stated that it is very difficult to defend informative decency in areas that little by little become hoaxes designed to discredit and turn into enemies. In other words, the battlefield is no longer the street, but the timeline of your favorite social network, where your uncle-in-law shares conspiracy theories before breakfast. We must accompany journalists in their efforts to maintain decency, he asked, and for the journalists themselves to refuse to fall into the rubble. His call was a song not to throw in the towel, because in times of uncertainty, accepting injustice is the easy way out. Throwing in the towel, according to him, invites pessimism and complicity with the rush that makes tomorrow the atrocity said today be forgotten. A rush that is the perfect accomplice to lying.
For her part, RTVE journalist, Pepa Bueno, contributed her dose of reality with a touch of nostalgia: lies have always existed, but now they have superpowers. The ability to be shared globally has turned it into a misinformation virus that spreads faster than a kitten meme. He noted that the year 2016 was a global turning point, with Brexit, the Colombian referendum and the election of Donald Trump. Three events that, together, seem like the trailer for a dystopia that no one asked for. But, in a turn that almost seems like divine intervention, he called on the media and journalists to take three actions: professional, editorial and financial transparency. Because, after all, what can go wrong when you open the books in an industry that sometimes feels like a secret club?
Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró-Quesada, director of “El Comercio” in Peru, made the sharpest observation of the afternoon: today we have more people interested not in being informed but in being affirmed. They want the media to tell them that what they believe is true. Good journalism, on the other hand, tells you the truth, even if you don’t like it. And that, dear friends, is generating a monumental short circuit. People who consume information based on algorithms that reinforce their prejudices, and media that insist on telling what is happening, even if it hurts. People, faced with such dissonance, choose to delete the account or contact. And that, according to Arévalo, is lethal in a democracy. Because, of course, why do we want critical citizens if we can have armies of blind followers?
In short, this congress has been a reminder that the fight against disinformation is the new cold war of the 21st century, fought with keyboards and screens instead of missiles. Journalists, those beings who were once seen as beacons of truth, now navigate an ocean of digital dung, trying not to get too dirty. Meanwhile, hoaxes are rampant, and informative decency has become a luxury good. But, as García Montero said, we should not throw in the towel. Although, thinking about it, perhaps what we need is not a towel, but a hazmat suit to enter the sewers of social networks.
Ready to join the resistance? Share this analysis on your social networks and help spread a little lucidity in this sea of confusion. And if you want to continue exploring more content on how to navigate this world of alternative realities, don’t hesitate to dive into our other articles. The truth may be uncomfortable, but it is always better than living in a dunghill.
