Andorra la VellaWe live in an age where truth seems to be an entity that eludes us, like an illusion that we cannot distinguish. In a world saturated with information, where news arrives in an accelerated form and in an enormous amount, the boundaries between what is true and what is manipulation are blurred, and disinformation or “fake news” becomes a growing threat to to democracy As stated by Minister Mònica Bonell during the presentation of the Pirene Awards, “in times of accelerated information, verification is more necessary than ever”. A statement that gains crucial importance in a context in which immediacy seems to win the game over depth and reflection.
In an increasingly interconnected world, social networks are becoming the main ways to access information. But, as Umberto Eco warned, “democracy is built on the ability to discern between what is real and what is not”. It is at this point that truth becomes an essential good: not only to understand the great global events, but also to ensure social cohesion and trust in our immediate environment. Journalism that not only collects facts but verifies them, reflects on them and contextualizes them is therefore more necessary than ever.
One of the scenarios where this battle for the truth becomes more evident is the debate on the Association Agreement with the European Union, which divides part of Andorran society. The noise around the Agreement generates anxiety, as Xavier Espot pointed out to the Council, the consumption of information through social networks, which offer us increasingly personalized news in accordance with our interests, has contributed to create informational noise that divides. Pol Bartolomé, councilor of Concordia, emphasized that Andorra is “more polarized than ever” on this issue, even noticing it in family areas, a reality that is not only political, but social.
Disinformation is not a trivial matter: it is one of the major problems of the coming years, it will generate confusion and manipulate part of public opinion. We know this, but what can we do about it? The answer lies in the creation of a rigorous verification system that prevents fake news from spreading and that lies do not contaminate the public’s perception of reality. This is not only the task of journalists, but of the whole society.
According to the German philosopher Walter Benjamin, “truth is made in the interpretation, not in the demonstration”and in this sense, the truths that our societies need must not only be proven, but also interpreted, unraveled and contextualized. The only way to recover the critical sense is, without a doubt, through the rigorous and reflective work of the media.
Disinformation is a threat that comes into our homes not only through fake news, but also through rumors and manipulations presented as absolute truths. The truth, on the other hand, needs time, effort and contrast of sources. “Disinformation is not just a lie; it is a disruptive agent that infiltrates the bowels of society and corrupts trust”, Umberto Eco said. In such a context, the only way to combat this difficulty is the creation of a collective consciousness that values verification, rigor and reflection over immediacy and noise.
As a society, we must be aware that disinformation is not only an external threat, but also a missed opportunity for critical thinking. This becomes an essential task for democracy, a shared task that begins individually: the more we understand that information is not a product of immediate consumption but a process of reflection and analysis, the more we can avoid falling into the trap of fake news. As the great Catalan poet Miquel Martí i Pol wrote, “the truth is won by fighting for it”. This struggle is not only a question of journalistic ethics, but a collective task that involves us all.
Disinformation threatens our democracy and our social well-being, but as a mature society we have the tools to deal with it. Truth is constructed through reflection, verification and dialogue. It is a task that falls upon all of us, and it is in this field that we should build a freer, more critical and, above all, more truthful society.