The courts are the usual means by which incidents are reported. Yet while professionals with a degree in Law have the power to investigate, defend and judge actions, they are not the only ones capable of doing so. Journalists also fulfil the social function of reporting and investigating, albeit through different channels. 

So claims Santiago Tarín, a journalist at the newspaper La Vanguardia, who, in a conference organised for Law students at UIC Barcelona, informed attendees that when relevant information reaches the newsroom, “we check to see if the allegation is true and whether it has social relevance”.

Tarín explained to the students that journalistic investigation and reporting has evolved in a positive manner in recent years thanks to the impact and democratising effect of digital media. “When I first started, it was impossible to report corruption. That would be unthinkable today, and it's largely thanks to social media”. 

Journalists in the courtrooms

As for the relationship between journalists, lawyers, judges and public prosecutors, Tarín admits that the two sides sometimes come into “conflict, because journalists want to know and the sources don’t want to tell”. Trust between sources is therefore fundamental when it comes to publishing information in the media. “Journalists often negotiate with their sources”, he added.

The journalist, the newspaper’s expert in judicial matters, also provided a brief overview of the current situation facing journalists, condemning the high level of “job insecurity” and the proliferation of the false self-employed in newsrooms. 

Lastly, Tarín also analysed the problem that occurs when information becomes entertainment. In addition, he also reminded attendees that the statutes protecting journalists have been blocked by Spain’s Congress of Deputies since the ‘90s.