Victoria Madrid Martín
Irene Castro has found time in her busy schedule as Brussels correspondent for our interview. As she has told us, she has had a few briefings today as there is a summit meeting tomorrow. In addition, she had two interviews for reports she has been working on for some time, as her intention since she arrived in Brussels is to be able to report beyond the information on the European Union that occupies most of her time. In addition, at the last minute an extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers was called just after this interview.
Her approach allows us to give more dimension to Eldiario.es as a medium, even though it is more focused on national politics, Irene's articles are among the most read in the newspaper. Eldiario.es's approach to international news is different from that of the legacy media because they don't have as many resources or as many people assigned abroad, but even so, they have something to contribute.
European Parliament in Brussels. Source: EFE
What is the process of coordinating with the editorial team?
Here in Brussels, the good and bad thing about it, depending on how you look at it, is that all the information is very cross-cutting. information is very cross-cutting. I was used to working in one section, which was the political section, and reporting on the Socialist Party. Then it is true that, in covering the government, it is a little more like Brussels, because it touches on different areas.
I mean, if the minister approves something, or if something is being negotiated, then there are things that are more sectoral. But, well, here in Brussels you have national policy issues, too. It's true that a decade ago everything was economics, less international and less national politics. But, well, those three legs of the equation are, as it were, habitual and constant. And then, to a lesser extent, also society, and half-heartedly. For example, the gender violence directive. What I was saying is that the information here is very cross-cutting and has these three variables. A lot of international, a lot of economics, a lot of national politics and a little, to a lesser extent, also of society.
So, as I normally coordinate myself, I depend hierarchically, so to speak, on the deputy director of international, who is Andrés Gil, who is also the person who was here before. So, beyond reporting to him hierarchically, it has been very good for me because he has been my mentor. So, let's say that at the beginning I basically coordinated with him and then I would inform the sections of the topics that were available or the topics that could be done or other things. Well, although hierarchically I depend on him internationally, let's say that my coordination is with the whole newspaper, so to speak. And then, if the newspaper wants something specific from here, well, they tell me.
But being more or less on your own, I understand that in the end you have more autonomy than being in the editorial office here, or not?
Well, I think that depends a little on each person's personality. So, yes, there is a certain autonomy, in the sense that I don't have to go to the newsroom, that I usually sell the issues myself, it's not so much a matter of the agenda that they see in Madrid, which is also a matter. So, there are correspondents here who have a great deal of autonomy and who, for example, don't do practically any agenda issues. And I do, but because it's a bit like the dynamics of the newspaper.
We work a bit like an agency, in the sense that we tell the story of the day and then we try to give it a vision, perhaps a bit more global, a bit more in-depth, in what we call our advance for members, which would be a bit like our front page for the next day's paper. So, well, there is a certain autonomy, there is more autonomy than in the newsroom, because to begin with you don't go through the newsroom.
What I mean is, it's true that you have a bit of autonomy to choose what you do or don't do and so on. For example, I sell the themes that I consider interesting and very rarely do they actually write to me from Madrid saying "today we should do this". But at the same time a lot of things can be commissioned and as you don't depend exclusively on one person who knows everything you're doing, it's a bit like you don't have a safeguard. It is also true that this is an autonomy in itself, that you are able to set limits or, well, to manage a little of what you do and don't do.
So, how do you prioritise among all that is happening there? In other words, how do you choose what you are going to cover?
Well, let's see, there are a series of topics that I know that editorially my newspaper and my readers are interested in. So, for example, I know that the negotiations in the judiciary are a priority for my newspaper, but if there is something about negotiations in the judiciary, let's say that goes to the front line.
Then, for example, now with the conflict in the Middle East, it's like another priority with respect to other issues. Well, when you have to prioritise, it's a bit in order of importance, but also in order of what your editorial line is interested in. On the one hand, I prioritise it in time, in the sense that I do things chronologically.
That is to say, if there is something at nine in the morning, I do the nine o'clock thing and then I tackle the twelve o'clock thing. But then there is also a question of prioritising the issues. So, to give you an example, just to give you a little bit of current affairs, and also just before talking to you I was talking to Andrés, who is the international director, as tomorrow there is a summit and there are a lot of things, so let's say we have prioritised a little bit, because tomorrow you do the report that Enric Oleta is going to present, because he is presenting it at midday.
Then you focus on international and the next day, which is Thursday, as there is a debate in the European Parliament on amnesty and for us, the newspaper, let's say it is an eminently political newspaper, it also has economics, it also has international, but let's say it is very political. So then the priority will be that and then Pedro Sánchez's conference and then the conclusions on competitiveness in the European Union, then that would follow. A little bit depending on time management and editorial interest, and thinking about the readers.
And do you feel that there is any way in which the business or funding model that eldiario has influences you, either for better or for worse, in your work?
Well, I'm proud to think that there are, I don't know the exact number right now, but maybe 80,000 people who, at a time when information can be free and there are many sources of information, pay to read Eldiario.es. For me, let's say that's a responsibility, isn't it? And that makes you think much more about covering or reaching that public that in the end is paying for something they could have anywhere for free.
And that also makes us try to differentiate ourselves and look for a different approach. Well, just as I said before, that we can work as an agency in terms of the rhythms, in the sense of giving things as they happen and so on, so we can also give an approach that might be of interest to the reader.
And then there's another thing that since the birth of Eldiario.es I've been doing practically from the beginning. It's like a download, isn't it? It's like it takes a lot of responsibility off you in the sense that, even though I haven't covered economic news, for example, the business model of the business model of the newspaper has always given me a lot of peace of mind.
What Ignacio says, that we don't depend on any advertiser, so if an advertiser leaves, well, that's fine, because let's say that the base of the partners supports any possible cancellations. So, I think that when it comes to talking about companies, and I can tell you that I talk less about companies, I think it gives me a lot of peace of mind. It is a peace of mind that perhaps other media do not have.
And related to this, what do you think your international reporting contributes to the media ecosystem in general? I mean, even though you have fewer resources than other traditional media, which have a lot of people abroad, how do you contribute?
Well, I think that perhaps what we contribute is a point of view that other media don't contribute, I mean, although we don't have many foreign correspondents, there is a line, that is, a group of collaborators who provide information from abroad, or who are experts in information from other countries. And I think that the focus of the information or analysis is probably much more social and much more left-wing than in other media.
And how is working for the newspaper different from working for other media? Do you and your colleagues there see any difference in the working day or how you communicate with the rest of the editorial staff...?
Well, the way of working is quite similar. What happens is that it is true that it is very noticeable for those of us who are only one correspondent or for those who have more than one. In the end it takes a lot of pressure off you, I am one person for everything, while there are other media outlets that maybe have three, right? So, you can divide the tasks much more, because maybe one is focused on international, it's a bit more like a newsroom, isn't it? There is one that is much more focussed on international, another one that is much more focussed on more focused-on economics and another one much more focused on social issues.
So, it's true that sometimes I try to get to everything, and to get to what three people do, I have to work harder and there are things I don't get to. But well, let's say that most of us here are a single correspondent. So, I also believe that we try to find a differentiation in the information. For example, I think we pay much more attention to the European Parliament than other newspapers. Other media perhaps focus much more on analysis than on pure and simple information, for example.
I was thinking, do you think that, in other words, that there is perhaps in general terms, not in the newspaper, but a little bit of a lack of concern for international issues in that sense? Because it's a bit naive to think that a person in Brussels, who is in Brussels, that everything is happening at the European level, can cover everything or just a small part of it well.
I don't think it's a lack of concern because I think that what we cover we cover well and I think that everything that is important is covered. I don't think there is any lack of concern, in fact, the information from Brussels is widely read. Since Andrés has been here, he has always been one of the most widely read editors and I feel the same way. I mean, it also depends on the context. For example, if there is something very big in politics, maybe people read more politics and so on, but in general, information about Brussels is very popular. So, I think that's also because we manage to reach them, you know, with what we write.
Comments