Work in Times of Globalisation and Technological Revolution THE CORK MUSEUM (MUSEU DEL SURO). PALAFRUGELL, 9 AND 10 MARCH 2017 SESSION IV. THE MEDIA IN TIMES OF GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLU- TION. Thursday 9 March, 2017, at 6 p.m. at the Palafrugell Cork Museum auditorium. Chaired by: Juan José López-Burniol, Notary, Writer and Counsellor of the ”la Caixa” Group. Speakers: Raphael Minder, Correspondent to Spain for The New York Times. Nacho Cardero, Director of El Confidencial. Esther Vera, Director of the newspaper Ara. Xevi Xirgo, Director of El Punt Avui. The media, especially journalism, has been affected by a double crisis. The general one, affecting the entire economy and, specifically, one in relation to the emergence of new digital technologies and the proliferation of websites and platforms, nearly always free, with information. This change in outlook is greatly damaging newspapers, as they see their sales decline, while revenues from digital platforms for subscriptions and advertising do not compensate for the losses. As if this were not enough, many readers value all channels and all news spread equally, although some stories are false. Despite this situation, the four speakers state they are optimistic and believe that the media will not disa- ppear, but will be transformed. After all, the reader will need a professional to separate truth from falsehood to be sure that what they receive is true, verified, contextualized, analysed and organised. The media will give up the battle to be the first and will become committed to quality and news which can add value. The issue of financing necessary for the newspaper companies to work, like any other, remains to be resol- ved. Subscriptions and contributions arising from philanthropic initiatives seem to be the primary hope. SESSION IV. THE MEDIA IN TIMES OF GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION SUMMARY Raphael Minder, The New York Times Correspondent to Spain explained how journalists are no longer engaged in seeking news, as there are more editors than ever and they find the news before journalists can “test it”. That is, to ensure accuracy “because that’s where the seal of quality is”, he said. He believes that ultimately, we will become selective “because we’ll realise that we can make mistakes if we believe fake news”, he pondered. The New York Times Correspondent believes that without funding, “you can’t do good journalism”. This idea is in agreement with Xevi Xirgo. The sector was already affected by the general financial crisis, and one of its main sources of revenue, advertising, is moving to digital ground. But what the digital business collects in advertising revenues is much lower than what the paper obtained. Revenues must come from subscriptions and philanthropic initiatives, such as those used to revive The Washington Post, he affirmed. Raphael Minder expressed his hope that readers would go back to paying for quality, but also predicts the demise of many media. However, he stated that he is optimistic about the future of the media, be- cause there is a legitimate concern about opacity and the spread of lies in this era of globalisation. In this way, the media can “restore the role it had at the beginning”, such as “participate in monitoring the democratic system”. The New York Times Correspondent also warned of the change of protocol for communicating with sources. Donald Trump, for example, communicates with his followers through Twitter, not only with traditional media. “This is a revolution”, he concluded. Nacho Cardero, Director of El Confidencial, believes that journalism will rectify what it has been doing wrong, and the behaviour that led to readers’ disaffection. Firstly, he said, “thoroughness, independence from political and economic power, and accuracy”, must be brought back. Second, the media should go back to being “at the reader’s service” – and treat them “with respect” – and be “critical of power” an idea with which Raphael Minder agreed. The Director ofEl Confidencial stated that “the way we produce, distribute and consume information is changing”. Before the advent of digital technology, readers sought the originator, and now it is the other way around. The speaker asserted that there is a paradox: on the one hand, the media have lost control of the reader; but on the other hand, they had never reached so many people before. Nacho Cardero explained that websites “will soon be a thing of the past if we’re not careful”, because many news items are now read on intermediary platforms, which are the ones who truly benefit. Ra- 1 SESSION IV. THE MEDIA IN TIMES OF GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION phael Minder agreed with the fact that we must invest in quality to achieve a distinctive brand. Esther Vera agreed with the idea that revenue can be obtained from subscriptions, and she added that this formula will be adapted to each consumer’s needs. Nacho Cardero admitted the difficulty in drafting a business plan, since “50 percent of the audience”, in this case comes via mobile phone; but this instrument only “provides 10 percent of revenue”, he complained. He pointed out that imaginative formulas must be used to do qua- lity journalism in times of limited resources, such as collaboration between various media when following a big story. Nacho Cardero cited the Panama papers as an example.1 Esther Vera, Director of the newspaper, Ara, distinguished between “news and information” because “the multiplicity of information is not news”. News, she explains, must go through a process of contextua- lization, analysis and hierarchy to be transformed into information. This work is addressed by “the tried and tested, honest journalist” an idea with which Xevi Xirgo coincided. She also stated she is optimistic about the future of journalism because, “the calm comes after the storm”, the storm meaning the manipulations that she said “are the lies that have been around forever”. She also stressed that the media “must regain its dissident role” and ask itself if it might have at some time abdi- cated its responsibilities. The speaker believes that readers should be provided with quality information and treated with respect, as Nacho Cardero indicated. Xevi Xirgo, Director of El Punt Avui, affirmed that he is the most optimistic of all the speakers because, although the world of journalism has changed greatly, there are now “more resources than ever and they are better and more influential than ever”. He does admitted, however, that the media also are ha- ving “a worse time than ever”. The rapporteur believes that the specific crisis in the sector is the responsibility of the media themsel- 1 The Panama papers are legal internal documents from a Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca, ranging from 1970 to 2016. These papers, which were disseminated by several digital media in April 2016, showed that there were members of the global elite who evade taxes and launder money to tax havens around the world. 2 SESSION IV. THE MEDIA IN TIMES OF GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION ves. Because when companies were making money they devoted themselves “to giving information away”, he lamented. They wanted to compete for immediacy and quantity, not quality. “Every media wanted to have the highest sales and the one that attracted the most advertising”, and so a battle began that was “slightly absurd”, a diagnosis with which Nacho Cardero and Esther Vera couldn’t agree more. The idea also began to spread that papers would no longer be pu- blished because there were more “modern” options, he remarked. It is true that newspaper sales have fallen and will continue to fall, said the Director of El Punt Avui, “but they will continue to exist for several more years”, he trusted. Raphael Minder believes at this point that “only the magazine format will survive”. Xevi Xirgo pointed out that the gurus predicted the end of newspapers by 2010 and they’re still here in 2017. He stressed that “what everyone does agree, is that the media will not disappear”. He reasoned that the essential factor is the construction of information. “The channel over which it circulates is of secondary importance”, added the speaker, while Esther Vera believes that part of the problem lies in the fact that we “value all channels equally”. Furthermore, Xevi Xirgo stated that because the market in Catalan is limited, what is needed is to give priority “to local information”.´ Raphael Minder believes that the limited resources will force the news media to bet on news items to which some added value can be given. This isThe New York Times’ policy with view to the year 2020, he revealed. 3 SESSION IV. THE MEDIA IN TIMES OF GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION KEY IDEAS 4 Journalism will not disappear, but will be transformed. After a period of multiplication of channels and news, readers will go back to appreciating reliable data that incorporates context, analysis and hierarchy until it is transformed into good information. Xevi Xirgo 4 The companies themselves are partly to blame for the current situation. At a time of economic expansion, they began to give information away for free and began a battle to be the first. Nacho Cardero 4 The way we produce, distribute and consume information is changing. Previously, the reader sought the publisher of the information. Now, it is the publisher who seeks the reader. 4 Technology has modified and increased channels of communication, but also communication itself. The sources begin to communicate directly with users, and they no longer rely on traditional channels. The media have lost control of readers, but they’ve never reached so many people befo- re.tos. Nacho Cardero, Esther Vera 4 Advertising is moving from the paper to the digital world, but the final investment is lower.