A few weeks ago, the Club Abierto de Editores (CLABE) organized the II Jornada contra la Desinformación under the slogan ‘Comprometidos con la verdad’ (Committed to the truth) at the Ateneo de Madrid.
The event brought together media experts, academics and politicians to discuss strategies and tools against disinformation and in favor of democracy. Leading the presentation were, among others, the president of CLABE, Arsenio Escolar; the Minister for Digital Transformation, Óscar López; and the president of the Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol.
Based on the conclusions of the collaborative book Comprometidos con la verdad: propuestas para combatir la desinformación, coordinated by Raúl Magallón, professor at Universidad Carlos III, the text proposes measures to address disinformation from legislative, educational and technological perspectives.
During the event, the need for media, governments and digital platforms to work together to combat the spread of false information was emphasized, highlighting the risks of social networks in the dissemination of disinformation. The structural threat posed by disinformation to journalism and democracy was also discussed, calling for action to regulate the impact of social networks and encourage self-regulation in the media.
The opportunity for journalism
In this sense, the last chapter of this collaborative book has been written by Professor Ramón Salaverría, entitled: ‘Disinformation: an opportunity for journalism’, beyond the harshness of his statements, aims to “open a door to hope” as he himself stated in his Linkedin. In his article, he invites journalism to see the crisis of disinformation as an opportunity to renew its commitment to the truth. He assures that, in order to regain credibility, the media must be more transparent, independent and rigorous. The chapter analyzes the problems that have undermined trust in the media and outlines some proposals to restore it.
For Salaverría, the proliferation of false news and intentional manipulation has deteriorated public confidence in the traditional media, especially in Spain, where credibility levels are alarmingly low.
He therefore proposes that, in the face of this crisis, the media must make a renewed commitment to truth and transparency. To regain trust, journalism needs to reform in several key areas.
Among the recommendations, it highlights the importance of prompt and honest rectification when mistakes are made, transparency in working methods and the source of funds, and clarity about sponsored or AI-generated content. It also stresses the need to improve professional standards, prioritizing information over opinion and entertainment. The independence of public media, which should be free from political control, is another crucial point for him.
Salaverría believes that the implementation of these measures, although challenging, could allow journalism to assume a more ethical and trustworthy role, acting as a shield against disinformation and serving as a reliable guide for society in an increasingly complex information context.
Main conclusions of the book
We have highlighted Professor Salaverría’s chapter because it seems to us to be one of the most remarkable, but we did not want to stop only in this chapter and we have prepared a summary of the entire document so that we cannot justify lack of time to read it, because we consider it to be of great interest.
Committed to the truth addresses the phenomenon of disinformation as one of the greatest challenges of the digital era and presents multidisciplinary strategies to combat its effects. The book explores how the spread of fake news and intentional manipulations has affected various sectors of society, threatening democracy, public health and social cohesion.
Through multiple perspectives, the text examines the importance of strengthening media literacy, transparency and ethics in the media.
One of the central themes is media literacy from an early age, defended as a crucial tool for forming critical citizens who are less vulnerable to information manipulation. The book emphasizes the need for media education to be a priority in public policies so that young people learn to distinguish truthful information from disinformation.
It also examines the European Union’s policy responses to disinformation, highlighting its leadership in digital regulation with initiatives such as the Digital Services Act and the Code of Practice on Disinformation. These measures seek to limit the amplification of false news on social networks and digital platforms, promoting a safer and more reliable information environment.
The impact of technology and social networks on the spread of hoaxes is another key issue. The chapters dedicated to this issue explore how social networks have become channels where hoaxes spread rapidly, driven by algorithms that prioritize sensationalist content. The authors advocate for collaboration between platforms, media and regulators to develop tools for verifying information.
In addition, the book delves into the damage that disinformation causes in specific areas such as science, economics, feminism, migration and consumption. Scientific misinformation, especially on health and environmental issues, has become critical, exacerbating problems such as vaccine resistance or climate change denial. In the economic sphere, the spread of false information can affect markets and investment decisions, while on gender and migration issues, hoaxes often reinforce stereotypes and prejudices, undermining social progress and inclusion.
