Hello,
It is the first newsletter of 2025 so I hope you have started the year as well as possible and, above all, that it brings us very good news. Although, what is ‘good’ news? Perhaps in personal terms we know how to identify well what is good or bad news in our lives. But in collective and public terms, there is painful news, which is not good in itself because it shows harsh realities that we would prefer to be otherwise, but which helps what is hidden to come to light. For something that someone who doesn’t want me to know to emerge. To reveal injustices that, only in this way, can be known, solved, and addressed. So it’s not good news, but it’s good that we know it instead of it still being on the hidden side.
I started the year by publishing a news story that continued a story we published at the end of October. If you remember, then I posted that a court investigates Santiago Martín Barajas, one of the founders of Ecologistas en Acción, for sexual assault. Two other witnesses accused him of similar events, one of them within the organization. Ecologists launched a commission of inquiry and last week I published the preliminary report (which will be completed once the judicial process is over).
The content of this report is clear: there are indications that this man engaged in conduct typical of workplace sexual harassment and workplace harassment for years. Have here the details. But I wanted to talk to you about the context around this information. The fact that we published this report at this time has raised eyebrows among people who believe that it is a matter of bad journalistic practice, a violation of the presumption of innocence, an attack on that organization (of lack of respect for its internal processes) and, even, lack of consideration for the victims.
Journalism works, in part, thanks to leaks, because we access information that we otherwise would not have known or not in that way or at those times. This happens all the time with corruption cases, for example. Names and surnames, behaviors, possible crimes, organizations appear. Justice does its job, but so does journalism, as long as what is published meets the criteria of rigor and truthfulness. If we waited for internal processes or trials, it is possible that we would not know some very relevant facts and all their details.
Not only do I not believe that journalism with a gender perspective is outside this logic, but I believe that it must follow it: controlling power, telling what is important, it is also revealing cases of abuse and aggression by men with relevant positions in politics, the economy, academia or society. Do so in compliance with journalistic standards and also legal precautions and the presumption of innocence. Do it by focusing the information on what is important and with maximum care for the victims. But do not silence it or adapt it to the rhythms of others.
I completely understand that these publications bother those who in some way feel – or feel their organization, company or party – is questioned or affected. But attacking or questioning the person who tells it is more like killing the messenger than taking responsibility, giving explanations or simply keeping quiet when it’s time. The person who harms an organization, a company, a brand is not the one who reveals what is happening, but rather the one who practices the inappropriate behavior, and those who, in some way, sustain, justify or cover it up. So a victim of violence does not ruin the life of the person who reports it, but rather it is the person who acted in that way who must be held responsible for his or her actions.
Feminist journalism seeks to ensure that this type of information has maximum relevance, at the level of others. Also look for an appropriate approach and treatment. Our information does not expose anyone, in fact, we save what we have considered does not contribute anything relevant or that could expose some people who we think must be protected. Precisely here we work as journalists who have been very, very concerned about practicing journalism committed to a gender perspective. We are wrong, sure, but publishing relevant information is our job, even if sometimes it may upset a party, an organization, a person. And we do not publish information if we do not believe it is important and that it meets journalistic standards.
a phrase
“Women should be able to talk about their experiences and connect through them. And the women who have the least power in the room are the ones who should be able to talk the most, because they are the ones who need their voices to be heard the most. It would be nice if some “People would stop worrying so much about the definition of feminism and see how different types of discrimination, alienation or subordination interact in their lives.”
Rafia Zakaria
— Author of ‘Against White Feminism’
A few weeks ago I was able to chat with Rafia Zakarialawyer and feminist thinker who is the author of ‘Against white feminism’, a book not suitable for offended Westerners and published in Spain by the ContintaMetienes publishing house. His book certainly encourages self-criticism and the dissemination of a non-white perspective that we do not usually listen to or seek.
You may be interested
- At Micromachismos we continue to publish testimonies from women and groups that talk about everyday machismo, in which violent behavior also creeps in. On this occasion he writes the collective of publicists #SehadQueDecir to talk about machismo in his industry. And I remind you of our email to send us your stories: [email protected]
- Menopause and podcast. A combination that has made the podcast of Argentines Mariana Carbajal and Ingrid Beck successful with a name that I love: ‘On’.
- Most of the money that RTVE invests in Spanish films goes to… projects by male directors. We tell you the data.
- First aid mannequins are still based on designs that take men’s bodies as a reference. AND that’s a problemas explained in Efeminista.
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I finish with:
A plan: ‘More comics for dana’
A movie: ‘The Red Virgin’
A song: ‘Messy‘by Lola Young
And with this, I say goodbye until next week 🙂
Ann
#good #news #journalism #feminism #exclusives
