Journalism is a noble profession. Although it is not always an exercise to be admired. That a society turns its back on virtue does not mean that good has lost steam or that evil is indulged with more elasticity.
As the dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language states, journalism is a "professional activity that consists of obtaining, processing, interpreting and disseminating information through any written, oral, visual or graphic medium". And within the professional activities, we can even put it in the register of those that are immensely necessary when democracy is in trouble on a number of frontspolarisation stresses the institutions, the post-truth The goal is blurred and artificial intelligence invents parallel realities more to the taste of fiction than of a noble profession oriented towards pursuing the truth with all the forces of its own justification.
But in this map of networks and media, black holes bubble up with an aggressive lack of ethics and journalism requires a vigilance that is sometimes not led by the professional associations of the profession. We saw this less than 72 hours ago: THE OBJECTIVE publishes an exclusive video of the groping between Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Minister Bolaños at the expense of the celebrations of 2 May and, immediately after, its dissemination is multiplied through dishonest channels by copying without a licence the material of an own headline without the slightest qualm..
Not so long ago, plagiarising information was punishable by shame and a fine. Today, it is increasingly common that the audience does not know where an exclusive was born, because it is used and abused, without citing the parents of the news, in an ethical, aesthetic and unprofessional jumble that destroys the pillars of journalism.
Infrajournalism There has always been, but it has never been the trend. There have always been news thefts and journalists photocopying other people's work. There have always been journalists who do not check information and media outlets that allow this to happen with astounding ease.. There have always been the frivolous and the superficial in this world of public letters. That is why there have always been good journalists and bad journalists. Because good and bad exist, even if relativism overrides the deontological codes of the editorial offices.
In the work of the Communication, the infrajournalism is very damaging. One media outlet puts out unverified information and many others echo it without calling the parties and verifying that everything that is said is true. Like zombies. It is a trend. It has gone viral. We join the bandwagon. I copy. I paste. I publish. Whatever. Like a virus driven mad by the pandemic, the hair of the infrajournalism discrediting people, companies, brands, converting lies or post-truth in edged weapons against the integrity of women, men, businesses, institutions or organisations that work honourably.
While the infrajournalism The need for honest, faithful, essential, deontological journalism is also growing. A professional journalism where there is no place for unprincipled people. Where those who play with the tools of a profession that has so much to do with the health and future of democracies are repudiated. As long as the infrajournalism is spread by spores, public distrust is growing at a rate directly proportional to the momentum of abuses.
Who is stopping this rebellion of the mediocre? Who is giving the reset? All qualified journalists know that journalism has professional, ethical, deontological and moral rules. You will not lie. You will not take the name of this profession in vain. You will sanctify respect for sources. Thou shalt not commit acts or indulge thoughts that do not pursue the truth justly. Thou shalt treat people with respect. You will cross-check information before ejecting your prejudiced headline. You will praise those who do well and demonise those who bring the guild into disrepute. You will reward the one who works and send the black sheep to the hell of discredit, even if they are many and even if they make a lot of noise. You will hear all the bells. You will flee from your ideas, your tastes, your opinions and your subjective judgements. You will quote the media that have reported before you, getting down on your knees before those who have been the first to do so. And you will hang up your keys and look for another salary if you are not a good person. That's the end of it.
The protocol of journalism is crystal clear. The rest is intrusive.
Lucía CasanuevaManaging Partner of PROA Comunicación