Translated extract from El Pais newspaper,
edited by Katerina Nakou – Journalist.
“A journalist is not a hero, he is not like Superman. He tries to denounce acts so that people take decisions. A journalist is a citizen that manages the right to the information but his function is not to go on war or take sides. He has to choose a side but this is not about leading the causes. His mission is to denounce, present and explain the facts.”, says Juan Luis Manfrendi “Professor of Journalism at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.”
Manfredi cites the case of the South African photographer, Kevin Carter who focused on the black African famine. In the end, his striking images also contributed to the global condemnation of the apartheid. “He cried disconsolately for being a white South African who always photographs black people dead,” said one of his friends.
A Journalist can hardly remain indifferent to what is happening around him, although he should not lose perspective or prefer one side or another. Manfredi believes that professionals need to get involved in society, address to public interest stories and benefit progress.
However, journalists should not have privileges other than recognized rights throughout the world, such as professional secrecy or conscience rights. “Such as every other citizen, they should be subject to the legislation,” emphasizes Antoni Gutiérrez-Rubi, political consultant and communication advisor . He notes additionally, that a war reporter (who might become a victim of the same bullets like the subjects of his photographs, or a reporter in a demonstration of extreme violence against the security forces, for example, is not the same person like someone who helps (actively or passively) a person in danger. “