CAF + FNPI VI Seminar on Quality Journalism

Over 80 directors, editors and reporters from 13 Ibero-American countries began today in Monterrey, Mexico, to discuss and exchange experiences in the seminar on "Business Social Responsibility in the media: new paths in pursuit of quality journalism," organized by the Ibero-American New Journalism Foundation (FNPI) and the Andean Development Corporation, with support of the multinational Cemex and the Spanish Carolina Foundation.

As they have done for the last six years, FNPI and CAF invited representatives of leading regional media to analyze the trends and challenges that have an impact on quality journalism. This year the chosen focus was Business Social Responsibility (BSR) in the media and its close links with quality journalism. How do the media understand their BSR? What do they do? What influence do their actions have on key aspects for journalism such as management transparency and media ownership, independence, pluralism and diversity in content, and training, professionalism and quality in the newsroom.

The debate began with Germán Rey, director of the Journalism Studies Program (PEP) of the Colombian Javeriana University, with the presentation of "The other face of freedom: business social responsibility in Latin American media," a study which covers the most representative practices and experiences of the sector in the area, developed jointly by FNPI, PEP, the Avina Foundation and published with the support of the Carolina Foundation.

Based on this study, the responsibilities of media companies to journalism were analyzed by recognized journalists and teachers from the FNPI of Latin America and Spain, such as Joaquín Estefanía, director of the El País School of Journalism; Luis Miguel González, deputy director of the Mexican newspaper Público; Jean Francois Fogel, international director of Le Monde;, and Daniel Santoro, deputy head of the political section of the Buenos Aires newspaper Clarín.

The seminar continues tomorrow September 2 with the presentation of specific experiences in the media related to BSR and quality journalism. The meeting will end with the presentation ceremony of the Cemex + FNPI New Journalism Prize.