Cultural slow journalism in Spanish : Case studies from Spain, Mexico and Colombia

ISSN 2340-5236 Anàlisi 63, 2020 99-113 Cultural slow journalism in Spanish : Case studies from Spain, Mexico and Colombia* Carmen Peñafiel Beatriz Zabalondo Alazne Aiestaran Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Submission date: October 2019 Accepted date: September 2020 Published in: October 2020 Recommended citation: PEÑAFIEL, C.; ZABALONDO, B. and AIESTARAN, A. (2020). “Cultural slow journalism in Spanish: Case studies from Spain, Mexico and Colombia”. Anàlisi: Quaderns de Comunicació i Cultura, Special Issue, 99-113. DOI: <https://doi.org/10.5565/ rev/analisi.3259> Abstract This article analyses four journalistic projects focusing primarily on cultural content: Arcadia (Colombia), Jot Down (Spain), Yorokobu (Spain) and Gatopardo (Mexico). The analysis is based on case studies and in-depth interviews with directors and journalists at these media outlets. Among the results, we can see the priority given to a type of journalism with content that is far removed from the agenda of the mass media: literary, cultural, creative, free-thinking, open journalism in which information is narrated from other perspectives. This is innovative, high-quality journalism practice that serves to interpret culture and society in the midst of a profound digital transformation. Keywords: slow journalism; cultural journalism; Arcadia; Jot Down; Yorokobu; Gatopardo Resum. Periodisme reposat cultural en espanyol: estudis de cas d’Espanya, Mèxic i Colòmbia Aquest article analitza quatre projectes periodístics basats en contingut preferentment cultural: Arcàdia (Colòmbia), Jot Down (Espanya), Yorokobu (Espanya) i Gatopardo (Mèxic). L’anàlisi es fonamenta en estudis de cas i entrevistes en profunditat a responsables i periodistes d’aquests mitjans. Entre els resultats s’observa la prioritat d’un periodisme de con- * This work is encompassed within a research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) Ref.: CSO2016-76020-R (AEI/FEDER, UE). Carmen Peñafiel; Beatriz Zabalondo; Alazne Aiestaran 100 Anàlisi 63, 2020 Carmen Peñafiel; Beatriz Zabalondo; Alazne Aiestaran tingut allunyat de l’agenda mediàtica. Un periodisme literari, cultural, creatiu, de pensament lliure, obert, on les informacions es narren des d’altres enfocaments. Són pràctiques innovadores d’un periodisme de qualitat que serveix per interpretar la cultura i la societat enmig de la profunda transformació digital. Paraules clau: periodisme reposat; periodisme cultural; Arcadia; Jot Down; Yorokobu; Gatopardo Resumen. Periodismo reposado cultural en español: estudios de caso de España, México y Colombia Este artículo analiza cuatro proyectos periodísticos basados en contenido preferentemente cultural: Arcadia (Colombia), Jot Down (España), Yorokobu (España) y Gatopardo (México). El análisis se fundamenta en estudios de caso y entrevistas en profundidad a responsables y periodistas de estos medios. Entre los resultados se observa la prioridad de un periodismo de contenido alejado de la agenda mediática. Un periodismo literario, cultural, creativo, de pensamiento libre, abierto, donde las informaciones se narran desde otros enfoques. Son prácticas innovadoras de un periodismo de calidad que sirve para interpretar la cultura y la sociedad en medio de la profunda transformación digital. Palabras clave: periodismo reposado; periodismo cultural; Arcadia; Jot Down; Yorokobu; Gatopardo 1. Towards a quality journalism with a cultural perspective The major financial and economic crisis afflicting the world since 2008 has left a profound mark on the journalism profession. This profession is currently characterised by, among other aspects, an abundance of news, by newsworthy facts and events subject to topicality and immediacy, by the hybridisation of genres and formats, technological convergence, news distributed not only via traditional channels but notably via social media platforms; and most definitely by the precariousness of the working conditions of its professionals, and the trivialisation of the news and the truth. Meanwhile, receivers are less passive and have become creators/producers and propagators (also known as ‘prosumers’) within the online universe. Inside this great news bubble, journalism is increasingly awash with fake news, bots, trolls and clickbait. And yet, in this digital ecosystem where immediacy, speed and brevity are the vital signs of a large part of the journalism profession, a need has also arisen to cultivate a slow, unhurried journalism which informs and analyses deeply and creatively. We are talking about work that is carried out rigorously, that verifies information and treats its audience with respect (Blumtritt, David and Köhler, 2010). The need to practise this type of journalism has been mentioned by authors such as Whitworth (2009), Rosenberg and Feldman (2008), Juntunen (2010), Rauch (2011), Brabazon (2013), Neveu (2014), Barranquero-Carretero (2013) and Rosique and Barranquero (2015), among others. It is a journalism which takes sides in the old debate about news quality, although “there is no agreement on what quality journalism actually means” (Gutiérrez Coba, 2006: 32). Even so, many authors have Cultural slow journalism in Spanish Anàlisi 63, 2020 101 studied this question: Pellegrini and Múgica, (2006), Gripsrud and Weibull (2010), De Pablos and Mateos (2004), Deuze (2005), Amado (2007), Gómez-Mompart, Gutiérrez-Lozano and Palau-Sampio (2013) and Beck, Reineck and Schubert (2010), to name but a few. In fact, this preoccupation with rigorous practice within journalism is nothing new. In the 1960s the so-called new journalism or literary journalism arose in the USA from the pen of Tom Wolfe, in an atmosphere of social and cultural change. Also, in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Mexico a strong literary and journalistic current was set in motion, in which literary journalism took its first steps. This new journalism was cultivated by young professionals who told stories in a literary language based on the use of adjectives and figures of speech that appealed to people’s emotions, and with a clear, defined style. These were journalistic currents that championed quality journalism. It is in the digital context, and also in the interests of responding to quality standards, that journalistic projects encompassed within the currents of slow journalism have (re)arisen with considerable force. The slow journalism current believes that the journalism of immediacy leads to a loss of quality (low journalism), as different studies have confirmed (Gómez-Mompart, Gutiérrez-Lozano and Palau-Sampio, 2015; González-Gorosarri, 2011; Ramírez de la Piscina et al., 2014; 2015). In today’s digital communicative ecosystem, with its abundance of information, standing up for quality appears to go against the idea that cultural production has an expiry date, and against the agglomeration of transmedia artefacts designed to become blockbusters (Moragas, 2017). But digitalisation has also provided new forms of creation, circulation and cultural participation; the Internet has also become a giant store of present and past content, freely available to users (Busquet, 2017). 2. Cultural journalism and its importance in current society This article focuses on slow journalism from a cultural perspective. We are talking about long-format journalism, with a meticulous style that cultivates interpretation and opinion genres, with the aim of analysing and understanding the current social, political and cultural changes. The concept or definition of ‘culture’ provokes conflicting opinions, and the views of theorists, arising from the different branches of knowledge, may coincide or may be very different (Busquet, 2008 and 2017). One of the most extensive interpretations of the term – and one which most probably has the highest consensus – is that formulated by UNESCO. According to this organisation, culture (…) encompasses - apart from the Arts and Humanities - lifestyles, basic human rights, values systems, traditions and beliefs and the fact that culture furnishes people with the capacity to reflect on themselves. It is what makes us specifically human, rational, critical and ethically committed beings. 102 Anàlisi 63, 2020 Carmen Peñafiel; Beatriz Zabalondo; Alazne Aiestaran Through it we discern values and form opinions. Through it, humankind expresses itself, becomes conscious of itself, recognises itself as an unfinished project, questions its own achievements, searches untiringly for new meanings, and creates things which transcend it. (World Conference on Cultural Politics; Mexico, 1982. See more on <www.unesco.org>) Therefore, culture has an important place in society and is the basis of its development and transformation: “Culture is the oxygen of a country’s mentality and lifestyle; without it, it would suffocate and succumb” (López Garrido, 2019: 9). Thanks to the appearance of the Media, particularly audiovisuals and above all the Internet, citizens no longer necessarily participate in culture within the ‘theatrical paradigm’, and consequently, culture is not only produced and consumed in person, first hand but is also shared with other consumers and creators (Busquet, 2017). Despite the importance attributed to it in individuals’ and societies’ education and identity, culture has not traditionally been given the most noteworthy place in the usual media (appearing on the last pages in the press, and at the end of TV news bulletins, if at all). The arrival of the Internet, price reductions in mobile devices, and the specialisation of professionals are all contributing to the creation of digital cultural journalism projects of quality, above and beyond the traditional cultural supplements we have been used to. We understand cultural journalism as a specialised branch of journalism, and as Ramírez de la Piscina (2009) demonstrates, it is a necessary instrument against the degradation, the (hyper)repetition and the trivialisation of content, one that responds to these three fundamental requirements: to combat information overload and the disproportionate resonance of the same subjects in all the Media, to go deeper into subjects and express them in all their complexity, and to bring an end to the lack of communication and secrecy, building bridges between the different aspects of life. Publicising cultural information and/or cultural productions via the knowledge and specialisation of professionals contributes to all of this. To summarise, the aim of cultural journalism is to rebuild its social standing through its link to the field of communication and through its contribution to the idea of human development from different angles, above all from culture. 3. Research aims and questions We believe that the current digital environment allows Internet and social media users to experience a new spatial-temporal participation. With reference to our object of study, we would agree with Busquet (2017), that it favours diverse forms of creation, appropriation and cultural participation. Among other considerations, it should be highlighted that this context also allows for the creation of new relationships, not only between the medium and its users but among the users themselves. Thus, the exchange of knowl- Cultural slow journalism in Spanish Anàlisi 63, 2020 103 edge and of symbolic and cultural commodities among receivers contributes to the formation of active communities that are always looking for quality cultural content in different formats. The evolution of journalism in the coming years will involve concepts derived from personalisation, updating, adaptation to readership segmentation, taking full advantage of the potential of mobile technology and the search for new formats. A silent revolution is afoot in which digital journalism has encouraged the transformation of content. A high number of followers is the first challenge, not only to remain in the digital media arena but also to enable them to improve their projects, interact with each other, and actively participate in narratives with cultural content, thus contributing to personal growth in a free and democratic community. And therein may also lie the success of these publications. The main aim of this study is to define the characteristic features of the magazines Arcadia (Colombia), Jot Down and Yorokobu (Spain), and Gatopardo (Mexico). The digital versions of the four publications were examined: the idea being to identify such characteristics as the subjects they cover, the kind of texts they include, the teams that make up their staff, the resources at their disposal, the use of new technology and their presence on social media. To respond to the proposed aims, we posed the following research questions: – RQ1What was the purpose of creating the publications studied in this research? – RQ2What kinds of companies lie behind the projects? – RQ3What teams make up the projects? – RQ4What are the characteristics of these digital magazines? – RQ5What kind of content do the magazines publish? – RQ6How do these magazines approach the subject of quality? – RQ7Do all the projects have print versions? What is the relationship between them and the digital magazines? – RQ8What is the readership of the magazines and what is their presence on social media? 4. Methodology This study forms part of a wider project about quality slow journalism in Spanish, in which different qualitative and quantitative methods were used. The research team identified ten websites that practise slow journalism in Spanish: 5W, Contexto, Jot Down, Panenka and Yorokobu (all from Spain), Gatopardo and Letras Libres (both from Mexico), Arcadia and La Silla Vacía (Colombia) and Anfibia (Argentina). Regarding the case that concerns us here, in the first phase a qualitative methodology was used, based mainly on case studies and in-depth interviews. There is a long tradition of using qualitative methodology in Sociology 104 Anàlisi 63, 2020 Carmen Peñafiel; Beatriz Zabalondo; Alazne Aiestaran (Coller, 2000), and it has been gaining ground in the field of Media Studies (Castillo, Almansa and Álvarez, 2013). One of the advantages of case studies is that of obtaining a large quantity of descriptive and explanatory information about a particular subject (Wimmer and Dominick, 1996). The body of research was completed with qualitative interviews with the journalistic, economic and/or technological directors of each media outlet: Table 1. Interviews carried out with Media directors Media Interviewee Date and place of interview Arcadia Camilo Jiménez, Director Sara Malagón, General Editor Felipe Sánchez, Digital Editor 31/07/2018, Bogotá 31/07/2018, Bogotá 31/07/2018, Bogotá Jot Down Ángel Luis Fernández, Editor 15/03/2018, Seville Yorokobu Juanjo Moreno, Director Fermín Abella, Comercial Director Mar Abad, Chief Editor Marcus Hurst, Chief Editor 15/04/2019, E-Mail 22/03/2018, Bilbao 16/04/2018, Madrid 16/04/2018, Madrid Gatopardo Felipe Restrepo, Director 13/07/2018, México D.F. The comments quoted are taken from the in-depth interviews shown in this table. Source: HGH Research Group. In-depth interviews are extremely valid as a method of qualitative analysis: “The main advantage of the in-depth interview lies in the wealth of details it provides, in addition to its incomparable precision in comparison with other survey methods where delicate subjects are concerned” (Wimmer and Dominick, 1996: 158). Furthermore, it offers a degree of flexibility when forming the questions in order to most effectively obtain answers to those posed in the aims. Finally, it allows for a more rigorous interpretation of the obtained results via direct observation (Gaitán and Piñuel, 1998). 5. Results The four magazines studied define themselves as cultural magazines or ones with eminently cultural content. They are all published in Spanish and practise slow journalism. Published in Colombia, Arcadia was founded in 2005 as a cultural supplement to the magazine Semana, although today it is an independent publication. It was an eminently literary magazine but in 2016 it began approaching culture more globally and started to pursue new readership. This coincided with the peace process1, an extremely important time for Colombian society which was felt within the cultural sphere. Jot Down was born in 2011 through the Internet forum Aerópago, which 1. The peace agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP was signed on 26 September 2016. Following the referendum on 2 October, the final agreement was signed on 24 November of the same year. Cultural slow journalism in Spanish Anàlisi 63, 2020 105 brought together people who did not know each other but who shared a certain boredom with the cultural news offered by the mainstream media. They created a product which was fun, attractive and different at the same time. Yorokobu was created in 2009, right in the middle of the economic and journalistic crisis, by four people from the mainstream media looking to create something which would fulfil them professionally, whilst offering readers a new product which did not exist on the market at that time. Gatopardo is a publication with readership in many Latin American countries, although its current headquarters are in Mexico. It came into being in the year 2000 in Colombia, as part of the Media group Publicaciones Semana. Around 2002-2003, the magazine set out to find its own strategic partners, initially with a small Argentine group, but above all forming a solid alliance with Travesías in 2006. The magazine is committed to narrative content, thinking beyond the immediacy of the journalistic agenda. 5.1. Editorial staff and contributors Arcadia shares its headquarters, designers and audiovisual team with the rest of the Semana group. The staff of Arcadia itself is made up of four people: Director (Camilo Jiménez), Commercial Director (Marcela Chaverría), Editor (Sara Malagón) and Digital Editor (Felipe Sánchez). In addition, they hire a paid trainee on a six-monthly basis. Most of its content is created by contributors: freelance professionals with expertise in different cultural areas. The average number of contributors is between twelve and fifteen people. Among the founding members of Jot Down are Carles A. Foguet, Ricardo J. González, Ángel Luis Fernández and María Jesús Marhuenda (none of whom have qualifications in Journalism). The latter two have a 50% stake in the partnership WabiSabi Investments, which produces the website and publishes printed magazines and books connected to the same brand. María Jesús Marhuenda, also known as Mar de Marchis, is the Director of Jot Down. By the middle of 2018, Jot Down had 14 people on its staff (9 full time and 5 part time), carrying out the following duties: management, editing, administration, communication, distribution, design, content, promotion and contributor liaison, among many others. According to its editor, their salaries are similar. In addition to the staff, Jot Down has around a hundred regular contributors, which has become one of the magazine’s hallmarks. Yorokobu is a publication directed by Juanjo Moreno, together with Mar Abad, Marcus Hurst, and Fermín Abella. They are the four founders of the magazine and also the managers of Brand & Roses, a company whose content, among others, is published by the magazine Yorokobu. It is a Limited Company (SL) with its headquarters in Madrid, although it does not have its own news office as such. The company has grown steadily over the years, and by the end of 2018 had a staff of 21 people. They also have an extensive “talent network”, as their founders like to call them, some of whom are regular contributors whilst others work more sporadically. 106 Anàlisi 63, 2020 Carmen Peñafiel; Beatriz Zabalondo; Alazne Aiestaran It would be impossible to talk about the Gatopardo team without mentioning its parent company Travesías Media, led by its founder and president Javier Arredondo. The editorial board is the same for all Travesías Media products. In 2014 the company employed 60 full time staff and had a national and international network of 235 contributors. Since 2014, Felipe Restrepo has been Editorial Director of the magazine. Rigoberto de la Rocha is the Creative Director, Diego Berruecos is the Photographic Director, and Leila Guerriero is the Editor in Latin America, while the Editorial Coordinator is Guillermo Sánchez Cervantes. 5.2. General characteristics Currently, Arcadia covers different aspects of culture: literature, film, photography and the visual arts among others. Together with an expansion of the cultural disciplines, the magazine has introduced a major shift in the perspective used to tackle the subjects: “We see art as a filter for looking at reality. (…) It is about seeing cultural subjects in social and political terms”, says its editor Sara Malagón. The print version is subject to a very careful publishing process, similar to that of a book in terms of storage. The digital version is still being perfected – there are still notable differences in terms of resources and the unequal attention given to it compared with the print edition. Since Felipe Sánchez was appointed director in 2018, the aim has been to rethink the relationship between the online and print versions, so that the online edition ceases to be more of a distribution channel and becomes a distinctive medium with its own character. Another aim is to make the most of digital tools and resources to practise a different type of cultural journalism that promotes artistic creation and production. Jot Down was born breaking every online rule that until then had seemed untouchable, such as the following: online texts must be brief, light and easily digestible. Well, the pieces in this magazine are usually long – very long. They are far removed from the content of the texts in the printed press whose length has gradually been reduced, and also from that which predominates in the usual online dailies. The texts in this magazine flee from the current servitude. They often use literary narrative techniques, but without crossing into fiction (except in erotic stories). They have found their own niche in the market, through a different way of telling stories that reaches diverse people who were demanding something different. Among other factors, it could be said that their narrative forms have increased their readership exponentially since the project was launched in 2011. The star genre of Jot Down is the interview. As its Communications Director, Carles A. Foguet, explained in 20122, they are very clear that the quality 2. KOCH, Tommaso, Parrafadas de éxito ‘online’, El País, 30 August 2012. Available online: <https://elpais.com/cultura/2012/08/29/actualidad/1346226060_676549.html>. Cultural slow journalism in Spanish Anàlisi 63, 2020 107 of the texts must be a top priority, along with the length of the interview (at least an hour of recording), its non-promotional nature (not talking about the next book, album, political campaign, etc.) and always remaining distanced from celebrity journalism. Leading figures from the world of culture, the arts, humanities, journalism, politics, science or sport appear in its pages. The interviews are conversations marked by the need for an in-depth reflection on topics that never go out of date, such as ethics, dignity, love or hate. Although the magazine’s reach is based mainly on its digital content, its promoters believe it is fundamental that the two formats complement each other (Ángel Luis Fernández). Even though the interview might be the most popular genre among Jot Down’s readers, it does not always coincide with the most read articles. The type of content published in Yorokobu revolves around creativity, innovation, culture, thought and tendencies: the fundamental aim being to inform, inspire, empower and entertain3. Creativity, inspiration and thought are keys in the Yorokobu environment. Apart from knowing what is happening in politics and in the economy, it is about training in critical thinking, which is what helps us mature: “It makes you freer, more critical, even braver. In the end, culture is what enables you to cope better in life, to be more independent, to be better able to make a living for yourself” (Mar Abad). In Yorokobu they have believed in paper from the beginning, “but in a very qualitative way” (Fermín Abella): good content, accompanied by good design and illustration. Good visual support is basic for attracting people to reading. The website is open to everyone, and about six articles are published daily because publishing more would mean “wasting information”: in reality “there isn’t so much time for reading” (Mar Abad). In terms of the intersection between the pieces in print and online, the same work and concept philosophies prevail in both formats. The intention is that the magazine articles should be more timeless and lasting, that they should be conducive to thinking. Yorokobu first appeared in digital format, in the middle of the Internet and technology boom. It was unthinkable not to do so, and nowadays it is impossible to survive otherwise. But they are clear that they must continue publishing in paper format too, at least as long as the Internet alone does not provide a satisfactory income. The aim of Gatopardo is to show what is currently happening in culture, politics and lifestyle in a magazine which is a trend setter in Latin America. When Restrepo became its director, they began to diversify subjects (previously, in the times of Guillermo Osorno, too much attention was placed on violence and drug trafficking, due to the situation the country was in at that time under Felipe Calderón), and also to give more space to local people from Latin America on the front page: a decision taken because the magazine, “in order to survive in the hostile world of printing had to be very com3. Falta nota ????????