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Buenos Aires, Argentina—“Freedom, Responsibility and Values” was the theme of UPF-Argentina’s panel of distinguished journalists. The Zoom webinar panel took place on August 20, 2020, introducing the International Media Association for Peace (IMAP) in Argentina. Panelists were Fanny Mandelbaum, radio and TV host; Cecilia Luchía-Puig, TV host, director of Líderes TV, and president of Mañana Profesional S.A.; Héctor Tito Garabal, host of Claves Para un Mundo Mejor and columnist for Channel 9 News; Marcelo Figueroa, radio and TV host of interreligious series and columnist for L’Osservatore Romano; and Marcelo Lagranja, president of the Chaco Province Media Workers Association.
Adrián De Angelis, journalist and president of UPCAM, moderated and introduced the panelists. Mariela Spangenberg, journalist and host of “Pasaporte Cultural,” was in charge of the Q&A section, collecting dozens of questions from the audience. Miguel Werner, secretary general of UPF-Argentina, opened and closed the meeting, taking the opportunity to read IMAP-Argentina’s five lines of action, which were developed by the panelists: Freedom of Press and Expression, Social Responsibility of the Media, Power and Service, Dignity and Human Rights, and Journalism Ethics and Peace Values. These are aligned with UPF’s premise of “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.” The technical coordination was in the charge of Emanuel Sayavedra, member of UPF-Argentina’s governing board.
This was the third Leadership Webinar Series organized by UPF-Argentina, with more than 131 online connections and more than 250 registered, mainly from Argentina and many Latin American countries. In June, we had a parliamentarian webinar; in July, we had a webinar focused on religion. In the following months, there will be a panel of academics and business people. There will also be a special parliamentarian series, addressing the lines of action of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) initiative in Argentina.
Webinar video of the IMAP panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKmxGlZns7U
PANELISTS AND THEMES:
“Journalism Ethics and Peace Values”
Cecilia Luchía-Puig, journalist and TV host, director of Líderes TV and president of Mañana Profesional S.A.
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADMysRG7Lrg
“Dignity and Human Rights”
Fanny Mandelbaum, journalist and TV and radio host
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5M1X0_6Pwk
“Freedom of Press and Expression”
Marcelo Lagranja, president of the Chaco Province Media Workers Association
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NTtFWoJWJQ
“Social Responsibility of the Media”
Marcelo Figueroa, radio and TV host of interreligious series and columnist for the L’Osservatore Romano
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWhR2_ZWcgo
“Power and Service”
Héctor Tito Garabal, host of Claves Para un Mundo Mejor and columnist for Channel 9 News
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbABsQbBTpM
Q&A section:
Mariela Spangenberg, journalist and host of “Pasaporte Cultural”
Link to the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS6oaEGGy6s
GOAL
To promote a suitable, ethical journalism, which includes intercultural and interreligious training, generating truthful information and quality context that contribute to the community. To promote socially responsible, autonomous, free media, without lobbies, with diverse voices not subject to economic interests. To uphold every individual’s dignity and common good values, with the highest professionalism standards. To claim the communicative value of words, with a message of hope and with a peace perspective.
BACKGROUND
UPF’s founders have considered journalism and the media a great power of positive influence for freedom, the common good, and peaceful coexistence. For decades, they have promoted conferences and international summits of journalists, and they have established media in many regions.
With such a background, the International Media Association for Peace (IMAP) was launched during the UPF World Summit 2020 in February in Seoul, Korea, under the theme “Realizing World Peace and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula Through Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.”
Through this panel, with the theme “Freedom, Responsibility and Values,” we introduced the International Media Association for Peace (IMAP) in Argentina, which seeks to address the following lines of action: Freedom of Press and Expression, Social Responsibility of the Media, Power and Service, Dignity and Human Rights, and Journalism Ethics and Peace Values. These are aligned with UPF’s premise of “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values.”
CONTEXT
How can we revitalize the role and mission of journalism in times of post-truth politics, fake news, disinformation, information overload and yellow journalism with limited social value?
How can we make truthful, professional and ethical information prevail over yearning for the news, likes and interests that create contents with promotional intentions?
How do the media and journalists fulfill their role under pressure of totalitarian or populist regimes, as well as commercial and ideological conditioning of “unique thought”?
How do we avoid and prevent the spreading of aggression, which ends up denigrating individuals and institutions through the most diverse platforms, networks and digital media?
Is it possible to overcome the tendency of informing tragic, conflictive events—which often overwhelm the audience with anxiety and fear—and focus on common good actions?
Is it possible to adopt a vocabulary of friendlier, more empathic and cautious words to prevent stigmatization or expressions that work against human dignity?
Resources
IMAP: http://www.upf.org/imap / UPF: www.upf.org
UPF webinar series 2020: http://www.upf.org/peacetalks
UPF-Argentina: www.upf.org/chapters/argentina
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/UPFArgentina
Facebook: www.facebook.com/upfargentina