Fuerteventura Journalists Warn: Credibility is Lost Due to Algorithms and Lack of Trust

Communication professionals gathered at the Fuerteventura Summer University have pointed out that the dependence on clicks and algorithms threatens the credibility of journalism. The lack of trust in institutions and misinformation are the main challenges.

Journalism is prisoner of clicks. This was defined by Isabel Morillo, director of 'El Correo de Andalucía', during a discussion at the Insular House of Youth in Puerto del Rosario, as part of the Fuerteventura Summer University. The talk, titled 'Algorithms, Power and Truth: Who Controls Democracy?', brought together several communication experts to analyze the credibility crisis facing the profession.

The Algorithm as Judge of Journalism

Lara Carrascosa, a PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of La Laguna, opened the debate with a question she herself acknowledges is difficult to answer: who really controls democracy in the digital age? The researcher pointed out that algorithms determine what information reaches the public, conditioning the media agenda and, ultimately, public opinion.

Patricia Delponti, a PhD in Communication, went a step further by stating that journalism has delegated to society the responsibility of having a critical spirit.

“I wonder if that is really what people want; I don't think so. Perhaps we need to retrace our steps and start working on spaces of trust and credibility in journalism”

, Delponti noted, advocating for restricting access to those who are not journalists to cover information in public institutions.

Trust, a Pending Subject

Esmeralda Barrios, a recent Journalism graduate from the University of La Laguna, focused on the need to regain lost trust.

“We must find a way to restore trust in society towards institutions and the media”

, she explained. Barrios acknowledged that technology is advancing relentlessly and that the challenge is for journalism to adapt without losing its essence.

For Isabel Morillo, the loss of credibility has multiple causes: technology, poor decisions, and a political class that has lost respect. However, the director of 'El Correo de Andalucía' wanted to send a message of optimism.

“All of this is fought by starting with optimism and vocation”

, she stated, addressing the new generations of journalists. In Fuerteventura, where local information is key for a dispersed population, trust in the media is even more crucial for social cohesion.

The discussion served to highlight the need to rethink the journalistic model in a context where immediacy and clicks dominate. The experts agree that the solution lies in recovering rigor and closeness to the reader, something that in an island like Fuerteventura can make a difference.