Authors of the book "Hostages" debate on the role of investigative journalism
Arturo Torres and María Belén Arroyo, authors of the book "Hostages Why They Killed El Comercio Journalists", analyzed this 30 May the role of investigative journalism in a discussion that took place within the framework of the 30 years of the School of Communication.
The event was also attended by Ricardo Tello, a professor at the University of Cuenca, together with Matías Zibell and Caroline Ávila, professors of the Communication career at the UDA.
"The perception of what it was like to be a journalist in Ecuador changed in April of last year when they killed Paul, Javier and Efraín," said Arroyo, adding:
"Before nobody had a notion that you could go to a coverage and finish first kidnapped and then dead."
Knowing why his colleagues had died was what motivated the investigation that culminated with the book.
Torres then addressed the nature of investigative journalism and differentiated it from the daily report of the news:
"A news tells us what happened, it's like a photograph, but the investigative journalism would be an MRI, going to the bottom of the problem, not only analyzing what happened but also the consequences."
Ricardo Tello said that talking about investigative journalism is difficult, but it is even more complicated since the chair.
"What we must teach students first is to demarcate from the agenda of power."
Finally, Matías Zibell said that research is the most risky facet of journalism, because in it, those who practice this trade "face power, whether political, economic or drug trafficking, the most ruthless currently."
After the questions of the students, Caroline Ávila made a brief presentation of the book with the objective of "provoking her reading".
"The work is a journey through that no-man's land that is the border with Colombia; for drug trafficking, the journalists' trip and the Russian roulette that was the negotiation ".
The event took place in the renewed library Hernán Malo of the Universidad del Azuay.
