Recent graduates of the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO), Alba Girao and Carlota Iribarnegaray, attended the Dircom summer course at the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) as guests, held at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander. They were accompanied by the academic director of the degree program, Ana Visiers.
The course, entitled “Challenges for democracy in the face of disinformation: The role of journalists and communication directors as guarantors of accurate information,” was led by Miguel López-Quesada, president of the Association of Communication Directors DIRCOM. It also brought together experts in institutional communication, journalism, media literacy, and professional ethics to reflect on one of the main challenges facing democracies today: disinformation.
During the conference, the impact of fake news, information polarization, and the role of the media and communicators as key filters against manipulation were analyzed. The program included presentations such as that by Miguel Ángel Oliver, president of the EFE Agency, on the role of public media, and round tables with professionals such as María Moya, CEO and founder of Prodigioso Volcán, Rocío Benavente, institutional representative of Maldita.es, Virginia Knörr Barandiarán, and Jesús Espino, director of communication for the City Council of Malaga.
The course highlighted the need to strengthen media literacy, data verification, and ethical and legal responsibility in professional practice, both in journalism and corporate communication, especially in light of the rise of so-called “citizen journalism,” which is often disconnected from professional standards of rigor.