“The crisis in the contemporary journalism. The search for truth and the message as the most important information requirements.”

A dispute devoted to journalism

October 27, 2009

Prof. Jesus Tanco Lerga

“The crisis in the contemporary journalism. The search for truth and the message as the most important information requirements.”
The inaugural lecture of the Navarrian Disputes was delivered in Toruń by Jesus Tanco Lerga a professor of the University of Navarre. The lecture, which gathered the audience of over two hundred listeners, took place on October 27, 2009 in Dwór Artusa.
The lecturer commenced his speech by stating that the Western World is witness to an unprecedented crisis of journalism as a profession.  The profession which for the past 200 years, since the emergence of first contemporary written magazines – “Mercure” and “Gazette” – till the appearance of the Internet in the globalized media world, have shaped the way the very core of the information process. Prof. Tanco maintains that today this function seems to have been taken over by the public opinion. However, traditional media standards are still valid. A true journalist should, just as representatives of all other professions, be competent, worthy and devoted to his work. University education of journalists and media employees serves this purpose.  Prof. Tanco supported his opinion with an example from his own university: “It may be considered symptomatic that the Institute of Journalism at the University of Navarre, which was established in 1958, has since the introduction of the General Law of Education in 1970 evolved into the Culture and Audiovisual Communication Department, offering five-year Master’s degree studies. Those, who were lucky enough to study at that time, and I may count myself among them, have received a complete education, consisting both of the theory and the necessary practical training.”  Nevertheless, Prof. Tanco believes that the contemporary journalism is bound to disappoint. We are witness to an unprecedented crisis in the mass media – in both the professional ethics and the quality of relations between the media and the society as a whole. The crisis is visible in the dramatic, and constantly worsening, drop in advertising in the conventional media advertising, loss of credibility among viewers and lack of trust in the face of challenges posed by the new media.
Prof. Tanco admitted that he is one of those who believe that our society is in much better condition than that pictured by the media.  Politicization of the media, negative news, frantic pursuit of sensational news, and lack of role models in both the professional and social life – these are factors which have been detrimental to the media. Unfortunately, all the above mentioned factors have exerted influence on the credibility of the profession. Prof. Tanco stipulated that marketing and PR departments of different companies, associations or institutions are the cause of yet another problem, as they strive to publicize “on-demand” information – the information which would present their company in a favorable light.
According to Prof. Tanco, there is another ambiguous issue worth considering – the question whether the public administration should be allowed to finance companies dealing in information. The moot points pertain to the constantly increasing direct help to the media which consists both in promotion of public authorities involved in politics as well as other forms of benefits, such as: tax benefits.
Prof. Tanco emphasized that the prevalent tendencies do not release journalists of duties laid upon them by the ethics of their profession – quite the opposite, as they interfere in the private lives of people they describe. The interference of the media may affect the innate rights to dignity and respect and tarnish somebody’s reputation. Therefore, when a good journalist is endowed with the task of selecting the information content he needs to take into account two criteria: public welfare as well as the impact the information will have on the people involved.   Therefore, certain lines need to be drawn. Prof. Tanco emphasized that not everything that can be said should be said. He added that good journalists should pass on positive values. It is not that journalists should sermonize preach, or even convince, but rather that they should try to grasp the truth of the good a man can do. Values should be presented in a natural way, respectful of people and institutions involved. The truth has to be preserved, however, it is of utmost importance not to cause unnecessary pain or do harm.
Prof. Tanco talked also about: the prerequisites of good information, the ability to search for truth, journalists killed for their work, the disturbing inclination visible in some media to support violence, terror and enslavement, the propagation of the culture of banality and triviality, the use of the Internet as the primal source of information, the impact of globalization on the media, and ownership problems.
Worth knowing:
On the day of the lecture the professor met with the faculty authorities and the students of the  Faculty of Politology and International Studies of the International Nicolaus Copernicus University. He also took part in the class conducted by Piotr Grochmalski, PhD. He discussed the shared projects and the exchange programs between Toruń and Pamplona with the Dean of the Faculty – Prof. Roman Bäcker. Both institutions are interested in such initiatives.
The lecture was uncommonly festive and solemn, as it commenced with an artistic program. A chamber music choir “Portamus Gaudium” from the Jesuits’ Church performed under the baton of  Agnieszka Brzezińska. The Choir sang the Navarrian anthem and “Gaude Mater Polonia”. The lecture was simultaneously interpreted from Spanish into Polish and the audience were offered the opportunity to ask Prof. Tanco questions. After the lecture all guests were invited to a Spanish banquet.  In the course of the dinner Prof. Tanco met with Zbigniew Fiderewicz, the Vice President of Toruń, as well as with the organizing committee of the Disputes. He admitted that, unlike his wife and children, he had never before visited Poland and that he was deeply moved to visit the motherland of the late John Paul II.

Prof. Jesus Tanco Lerga
has a Ph.D. in information technologies and is a professor of the University of Navarre. Between 1979 and 1981 he hold the office of the vice director of the Education Department and from 1981 to 1983 he was the vice director of the Culture and Tourism Department of the Government of Navarre. Between 1983 and 2005 he was an employee of the General Archive of Navarre. Since 2005 he has collaborated with the University of Navarre and has been responsible for public relations. He is a professor of the School of Communication of the University. Moreover, he is an author of numerous books and publications devoted to the history and culture of Navarre as well as to the phenomenon of Camino de Santiago (St. James’s Way). He is one of the coauthors of the Encyclopedia of Navarre. He held the function of the president of the Association of Journalists of Navarre. He established the Association of Friends of Camino de Santiago in Navarre and has since sat on its Board. What is more, he was a member of the managing board responsible for organizing the Central Celebrations of the Jubilee Year of St. James in 1999.  He is also an Elder Brother of the Brotherhood of Saint James, the Apostle, a member of the editorial committee of the “Jakubus” magazine. For the past twenty years he has been the editor-in-chief of “Estafeta Jacobea”. In 1996 he presided over the General Congress of St. James in Pamplona. He has participated in numerous conferences devoted to the St. James’s Way, for instance: in Belgium, Italy and many Spanish cities.