Speech director of the journalism school at the University Alberto Hurtado, at the ceremony award of the fifth version of the Journalism Award of Excellence.
For the fifth time I have the honor to stand before you on behalf of
Sometimes students have practiced the exercise to close your eyes and think how life would be a week without newspapers, no television, no Internet, no phone, no one to tell us a history. Spiritual exercises would be good, of course, but how many things we found out, and how many of those stories have been gravitating to make choices ... would be disconnected from each other, we would begin to endanger the word community, a concept which Journalism is deeply attached.
Gabriel García Márquez said that journalism was the best job in the world. Insurance is best for the winners tonight and for many who have joined us today. And it is that we must defend it with all your soul, perfecting all our intelligence, care with dedication, devotion and not to yield to the possibility of implementing it.
This is not easy. Nothing good journalism seems easy. By contrast, where is the news detecting, investigating despite the pressures of their own prejudices and ideological positions, explore, often with the explicit threat of those who are auscultated, access to information that by law the state must provide, to convince the means to publish, at its own risk importune advertisers, and finally seduced audiences with stylistic narrative talent and wit, is a job that requires intellect, courage and passion. On the way they make mistakes, certainly, and probably would not risk more comfortable and never choose to sail in the calm waters of public relations in order to avoid a hefty list of enemies. But we do not get into it for comfort.
In these five years of experience we have seen that parallel to the journalism that comfortably enjoy and participate in the entertainment business or the adulation of power, there is a journalism seriously disturbed and that is quite clear their role as public servant. But we're way better. We have to improve. We have come closer to the quality standards of good English or American media. We must strive to be more independent, more diligent, more responsible for what we do and we do, more diverse. We have to make effort to worry most about what matters, anticipating problems underlying layers apparently less demanded by our readers. What few stories about science, about technology, about religion ... We have to tune in better with the younger generation. It is the job of journalists, media, schools of journalism and the public as well.
Today I especially thank the directors of schools of journalism in mind, we can work together to educate our students in the true principles of journalism, returning to this office, enthusiasm and dignity it deserves, delivering the most professional company capable of researching and writing stories like that tonight reward. We need less competition mean, unless the wrong union campaigns, more reflection on the whole, more collective generosity and more critical analysis.
But the task of improving the quality of journalism not only falls on those responsible for professional training or work of selecting and editing media. This company is responsible for throughout society as a whole. The public should demand to be served properly, with respect, honesty, claiming those areas of interest that motivate you, punishing concrete action when it feels that the trust has been betrayed. Perhaps the proliferation of Blogs , full of opinions are often written in aggressive tones and disqualifying, no more than the rage at the lack of space to complain to the press his faults or omissions. Well you do to print media Chileans think once and for all, the possibility of having a public editor. Well I would make democracy seriously consider the possibility of being more democratic, and here I refer to the sources. Why have so many unnamed sources in the pages of newspapers and magazines? Largely because people have to come forward, take responsibility with those who owe explanations, information, opinions, readers are not always ready to act with courage and spirit of democracy. None of this justifies the abuse of anonymous sources. Improving the quality of journalism is the duty of every society.
and to grow and keep good journalism requires moving also adequate space for freedom and here we have clear-dos, but you also need people willing to defend the spaces that have given us, with courage and generosity. I can not close without thanking our Jury,
"To be as they are or are not," said
