The president of the EFE news agency, Miguel Angel Oliver, defended news agency journalism in the context of political polarization, as it contributes to the provision of accurate and pluralistic information.
“When there is such extreme polarization (…) I believe that agencies, if possible, are a means to try to create depolarized journalism,” Oliver stressed on Saturday during the panel “Informing in Times of Polarization” at the Gabo Festival, which will take place this weekend in Bogotá.
“At EFE we don’t have an ideological line (…) we are factual reporters, not opinion reporters,” he stressed.
Oliver stressed the value of journalism in Latin America, a region “where there is a struggle for freedom.”
“We are in a polarized society where everything seems like a card game, but in Europe we do not risk our lives like our colleagues here,” he said, alluding to the situation in some countries in the region and the risks it entails.
Oliver singled out the work of EFE journalists in verifying information, noting that the agency has an “army of fact-checkers” around the world, referring to more than 1,100 reporters of 46 nationalities working in 180 cities in 110 countries.
“EFE and other media outlets have created verification services,” which is now the largest Spanish-language media outlet with its own verification department, he said.
“We live in a situation where, as a public body, we have become guarantors of truthful information,” he emphasized.
The 12th Gabo Festival, taking place for the third year in a row in the capital of Colombia, has been gathering since Friday more than 150 guests from 25 countries who will take part in workshops, conferences and lectures.