An Inside Look at the 7th Congress of Journalists of Catalonia
Laia Doutrés, a student intern of the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya, holds her press pass close to her chest as she walks through the lobby of CaixaForum Barcelona. It is the morning of November 7, the first day of the 7th Congress of Journalists of Catalonia organised by Carles Prats, Carlota Martí and Xavier Puig in the executive committee. In her hands, she holds the event program. In her mind, she has a dual responsibility, to ensure that everything runs smoothly and, at the same time, to observe it as a reporter.
Jodi Kantor: A Beginning that Set the Tone
At nine o’clock sharp, Laia takes her seat in the main hall, surrounded by journalists, students, and other professionals. The lights come on. The star speaker enters, Jodi Kantor, an investigative journalist for The New York Times, known for exposing the Harvey Weinstein case together with Megan Twohey. Kantor’s voice breaks the murmur. She talks about investigative journalism, its value as an instrument of change, the ethical responsibility behind every text. For Laia, it is a victory, the talk begins without a hitch. “It’s the breath of fresh air this conference needed,” she says.
For those in attendance, this start sets the tone, a serious, committed day. For Laia, it is a relief, the program starts on time, and the schedule is on track.
Proximity Tables: Radio Stations, Local Realities, and Time Lags
After the presentation finishes, Laia moves on to the next section: the round table discussion “Local Journalism in a Globalized World.” The speakers, directors of Catalan radio stations such as Eduard Garcia, Marta Pujantell, and Jordi Sebastià, take the stage, moderated by Gemma Sánchez.
The microphones are working, the lights are in place, but the first signs of concern are appearing, one speech is running late, and time is running out. Ten minutes pass. Someone in the audience checks their watch.
The table moves forward, voices alternate, they recount the reality of local journalism, its lack of resources, the difficulty of attracting young audiences, competition with global media. Local radio stations demand value, identity, sustainability. For Laia, the story is necessary, perhaps urgent, though the organization is suffering, the delay is palpable.
A Necessary Break
When the early morning parallel sessions end, the audience heads to the catering area across the road. Laia walks through the corridors of CaixaForum and runs to Barcelona’s Palau de Congressos. She knows that the timing has been disrupted.
The atmosphere relaxes further. With a sandwich in hand, Laia walks slowly around the space, keeping an eye on every detail. Conversations flow easily now; people chat in small groups, comment on the morning sessions, exchange impressions.
Near the photocall, a group of students stops for a moment. They take two quick photos, laughing more than posing, slightly disorganized, enjoying the break. It is a small, spontaneous moment that cuts through the formality of the conference and makes the pause feel lighter.
At the Heart of Conflicts: Another Way of Explaining the World
After the break, the third session begins: “Journalism in the Spotlight: Explaining the World from the Heart of Conflict.” Elia Borràs, Raül Gallego, and Júlia Serramitjana take the stage, moderated by Llúcia Oliva. From the organization, Laia keeps an eye on the clocks, the turns of speech, and the movement of the audience between rooms.
But this panel is not like the others, the testimonies are intense. They talk about conflict zones, correspondents, fear, ethics, the weight of telling what few want to tell. The silence in the room grows. The voices are heard clearly.
Laia does not intervene. There is no need. Her role today is to hold the structure together. But she feels the pulse of the audience and says: “If we manage to tell this story well, we will have done something important.”
General Perception: Weariness, Interest, and a Sector that Recognizes Its Problems
When the last presentation ends “Credibility at stake: let’s practise self-criticism” guided by Ramon Besa and Neus Bonet, Laia gathers her papers. The conference closes for the morning. Some attendees leave in groups, chatting among themselves, others stay behind, talking in the hallways.
From the outside, it may seem like a success, with many satisfied faces, lively debates, and a diverse audience: students clutching notebooks beside veteran journalists, cultural managers, academics, freelancers, and media professionals from different backgrounds fill the rows, each bringing their own expectations and questions. But Laia knows that behind the scenes, there have been small delays, overlapping schedules, rushes that cannot be controlled.
Even so, the urgency of keeping journalism committed, real, and accessibly alive stands out. Through local radio stations, correspondents in war zones, professional voices that resist, all these have relevance in the profession.
For Laia, the conference is not a showcase; it is a political and professional act, a commitment, highlighted by the renewal of the code of ethics, a significant achievement, a gesture to bring together people who question, who are afraid, who denounce abuses and injustices, who choose to inform when everything pushes them into silence. Even amid minor slips and rushed moments, the event has succeeded in putting a spotlight on what truly matters: the courage, responsibility, and impact of journalism in a complex world.
And as she leaves CaixaForum, with the program half-folded in her hand, one idea prevails: even with unforeseen circumstances, even with haste, the conference has delivered a necessary conversation. It has put the spotlight on what matters.
Ethically created and written by human students, assessed by human experts, and some language revision with AI tools.
