Journalism and Peace Venues
Txema Ramirez de la Piscina
The author is Professor of Journalism at the (EHU) University of The Basque Country.
Featured in the EZPALA publication No. 10, 1999
I wrote this the 23/October/1997: The Basque conflict calls for new agents, new subjects who, with imagination, courage and proficiency, ought to work along with the existing organisations and public associations to together bring forth positive news events: shelve the sterile inertia, and work side by side in order to restore public reassurance. This is, in my opinion, the only course of action likely to drive the PP administration out of their homelike all-inclusive haven.
The bleak earlier panorama – the executive board of HB indicted, the still recent fatal attempt on Mr. José Caso... – has absolutely nothing to do with the present one. The consequential events transpired in Euskal Herria in the last 10 months, particularly in the last 100 days, have brought about major changes in the lay of the land, all for the better: a number of new political agents have come to the fore; the insight and courage radiated (from some parts at least) seem to blow new winds of hope; the long-established indolence subdues under the unanimous public clamour for a [democratic] settlement of the conflict; the interaction in the community has deeply rooted in the Basque society and positive actions have come to make more of the news lately.
Not all appears to have changed though; the PP government remains contumaciously aloft and cloistered in its comfortable moth-eaten retreat, unconditionally prey to the "spirit of Guadalajara". But, today, at least, they no longer fill comfortable; in fact they appear extremely ill at ease. They seem unable to cope with the new situation: a widespread lack of cohesion has taken over its leaders and the message they forward to the media keeps shrinking from day to day.
Positive Action
In the given circumstances the Basque society badly needed some kind of positive and reassuring shift of events. And, what a coincidence, last September, two occurrences of paramount significance came to pass within a fortnight: the Declaration of Lizarra [Accord endorsed by a number of (mainly) Basque nationalists and state federalist political forces to conjointly try, by democratic means, to advance the peace process in progress in Euskal Herria, and attain their political aims] and the unlimited unilateral truce of the ETA (16.09.99) [after years of armed conflict] And, however much laudable the role played by all the active parts involved in the process, I find particularly remarkable and commendable the outstanding political discernment and courage shown by the whole Basque left [Ezker Abertzalea], when, with the whole Executive Board of the Herri Batasuna Coalition imprisoned [The 23 executive members of a democratically elected political coalition are serving a 7-year sentence, for trying to publicise - not fait acompli - a peace proposal (silenced by the administration) launched by the ETA to the Basque society for public debate, in an attempt to bring to an end the current Basque- Spanish political conflict.] and the EGIN Journal (& Radio) premises cautionarily closed, they have been able to stand on their feet and steer a down-bound train into an up-bound one, spreading their motivation in other left and nationalist sectors of our society. Chapeau!
All the society and opinion making agents unanimously agree that the ETA truce has been the most significant and encouraging news traspired in years. They all admit that the event will lie a major turning point in the contemporary political panorama of Euskal Herria: the situation prior to and after the truce. Therefore, it is my view, that the media approach to the Basque conflict should respond accordingly. Before this truce came into force, the mainstream media has operated as a manufactured source of tension - ruling out any other kind of rational settlement - holding tightly to its custom, scared stiff to make the next move or get down to the real task.
So, from now on, the media strategies to which the different shaded political think tanks will resort in order to allure the general public will be singular. Quite an striking parade. We will observe them all: mediatic puppets, digital acrobats, cathodic trapeze artists and politicians, all taking pains not to lose balance before the cameras.
Spanish Minister of Interior, Mr. Major Oreja's comportment before the media is but a plain illustration of it. Spain purportedly has a good reputation among its counterparts. Here, however, it is another question; we have seen him put his foot on it once and again, and his untenable and ridiculous speculation over the truce being a trap is but the tip of the iceberg. Recorded in history will remain his public statements regarding the raid carried out by the French authorities in Northern Euskal Herria a few weeks ago. He proclaimed the far-reaching consequence of those detentions to all and sundry, only to see all the detainees released, acquitted on all charges a few hours later.
In view of it all, it must be made crystal-clear that this is indeed a media war also. And here, make no mistake, the point to prevail will not be quantity, but quality and credibility. The essential point here will not be the form (without disregarding the potentiality of aesthetics), but the contents. And the media will play a pivotal role in this new process, given the fact that they are the main manufacturers of consent, the force that will telescope the actuality and form the public opinion.
Change of Attitude
In this brand new setting, the attitude of all and sundry instruments that make up society will have to change considerably. Even if disinformation, one-sidedness, boycotts, lack of mutual trust and simple-mindedness have commanded over the years, the time has come for the fair and accurate journalism to take over. The mainstream media has as a matter of course fed on the power oriented information yards and worked almost systematically along the official lines, overlooking the presumption of innocence and systematically violating the rights of minors (particularly those of the activists of JARRAI [Basque Left Youths]. Nevertheless, from now on, the mass communications media will have to take up this difficult but inspiriting challenge: restore peace. To such effect, of course, all the constituents of society, political groups, civil structures and the Basque media will have to be up to the task.
The opening article of the universal code of conduct of the journalist reads as follows: the respect owed to veracity will be the foremost ethical commitment of the journalist towards society. Such a simple thing to do and how awkwardly applied! According to the findings of editor of the daily journal La Vanguardia, Toni Baitista's recent survey, 30% of the information issued in relation to the ETA has later proved to be spurious (Terror i negligencia: Hipercore and the media fabrication; ETA. Ed. de la Magrana, Barcelona, 1997)
Besides, (Basque) journalism is by principle obliged to pay due respect to the basic rights of the citizens to watch over their own privacy and honour. This implies that journalism should particularly bear in mind those weakest sectors of our society which have no means of access to the mass communications media. Namely, those souls who cannot afford the service of the media think tanks or the favour of the powerful. Likewise, they should pay a particular heed to those opinions or information that may foster or breed contempt, dishonour, maltreatment or torture in the public opinion.
Moreover, taking into account that the lack of mutual understanding usually stems from lack of culture, both the Basque and Spanish journalists should aim at precluding blind prejudice and groundless presumptions from their professional daily work. Accuracy and fairness have always proved to be the best course to good rapport between countries and the best medium to safeguard both the individual and collective rights of the citizenry, furthermore constituting the soundest pillar of the dignity of any one nation.
Needless to say that the posited procedure does not only apply to journalists, but to all the media organisations and trade unions operating in the field at large. Since, only by sticking to this course of action, will they make sure the foregoing principles are put into practice and advanced, no doubt, each working from its own sphere of action. Because by doing so, Basque journalists and the mass communications media will be truly rendering an invaluable service to the country. Whereas failing to do so, will bring about more confusion and chaos.
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