How does the media form public opinion? A discussion panel organized by EAE, ADECEC and BCW
17 de February de 2020
17 de February de 2020
How does the media form public opinion? We examined this topic during a discussion panel organized by EAE, ADECEC and BCW
With the arrival of the digital age, communication has transformed radically. The ubiquity of the Internet, the boom in social media and the breakdown of the classical paradigm are among the changes that have had the greatest repercussion. According to Henry Jenkins, the acclaimed US academic, the world of communication in in the throes of a process of transition: the old media system is dying and a new one is being born. In view of this reality, there is a real need for platforms that help us discuss the role of communication in the information society. This was the goal of the event ‘The media and forming public opinion in strategic sectors’, held on 11th February at EAE’s Joaquín Costa Campus in Madrid.
Organized by ADECEC, Atrevia and BCW, among other companies, the discussion panel was led by 4 journalists who each represented different strategic communication sectors: Iñaki de las Heras from the newspaper Expansión (Energy), Carlos Hernanz from the newspaper El Confidencial (Food), Arturo Criado from El Español (Mobility) and Íñigo de Barrón from El País (Banking). Between 09:00 to 11:00, with the participation of students and businesspeople, the speakers created a platform for dialogue with the aim of taking advantage of the opportunities that are merging in the communication sector, thereby fostering a relationship of trust between the media, companies and users.
To stimulate discussion, the event was divided into 4 blocks in which each speaker presented their part, with the attendees actively participating throughout. Let’s find out more about them!
“The media is extremely relevant in our lives. The media doesn’t describe reality, but rather it forms it, which is far more important. Whenever somebody opens any media channel, they are seeing what that channel considers that an educated person should know today. This is a really important factor in having a healthy, informed society”.
Manuel Mostaza
Director of Public Affairs at Atrevia
Most of the attendees agreed that the immediacy of information is one of the key impact of the Internet and Social Media. Using their smartphone, which is now replacing the laptop, users can instantly communicate with media and companies, However, this immediacy has meant that “the media is becoming increasingly similar to new agencies”. “The media has to adapt to the changes in society”, they concluded. “They must embrace the challenge of translating the complex reality into simple messages for digital channels”.
2. Companies
With respect to the business world, the discussion panel focused on the issue of transparency. Thanks to the existence of Social Media and users being constantly connected, they explained that companies now need to manage their internal and external affairs with a great deal of transparency. However, not all companies do this and some cling on to the old way of communicating, simply using official channels and press releases.
‘The concept of the citizen journalist has taken root in society. There are no citizen doctors, there are no citizen firefighters and there are no citizen journalists. There are people who specialize in communication. When the reader accesses information, they know who is behind it. There is no pseudonym or nickname that may have intentions that we don’t know very well’.
Manuel Mostaza
Director of Public Affairs at Atrevia
When discussing the issue of fake news, the speakers quoted Henry Jenkins: “The media has lost its monopoly of intermediating between the event and public opinion”. However, in contrast to Jenkins, the discussion panel did not highlight the positive effects of this transformation, but rather its negative impacts, such as the rise in pseudo-journalists and fake news. “The media faces the challenge of differentiating their product, and ensuring that users are able to appreciate their work”, they emphasized.
“The scenario that the media is experiencing at the moment is complex”, emphasized the speakers when discussing strategic sectors. Due to the impact of globalization and the digital boom, every sector is undergoing great transformations. However, at the same time, they mentioned technologies that are helping, such as bots. Price competition, digitization and respect for the environment appear to be some of the changes with the greatest impact on the main sectors.
After two hours of productive and lively discussion, the speakers brought the session to a close and thanked the audience and the sponsors for making the event possible.