Journalism and truth
Learn what leading figures in investigative journalism say about the value of truth, journalistic independence and freedom of expression today. This selection of content is based on one of the main themes covered by the CCCB Resident international residency programme, organized in conjunction with the UOC.
CCCB Programa de residències
This programme is organized by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB). Thinkers, journalists and creators are invited to spend three months in Barcelona and engage with the city's cultural and academic life. The residents participate in various public activities, curate projects at the CCCB and develop links with various cultural agents.
Aimed at fostering high-quality discussion and the creative relationship between Catalonia and the world, the project focuses on two areas:
- Journalism and truth
- Thinkers and creators from the Global South
This project is supported by the Mir-Puig Foundation in conjunction with the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC).
What is the relationship between journalism and the truth?
Our relationship with the truth is a fundamental issue in the field of journalism, one of the pillars that structures the ethics of a profession which plays a central role in democratic societies and which is currently undergoing a transformation. Where is truth in the age of post-truth? How can we construct a public sphere that is both plural and of high quality? What ethics underpin the task of investigating and reporting?
George Orwell's political dystopia portrays a totalitarian regime where the state exercises absolute control over truth, language and individual life. The novel explores mass surveillance, ideological manipulation and the destruction of freedom as extreme forms of domination.
Orwell, George. 1984. Madrid: Editorial Verbum, 2020. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991000967366406712
Timothy Garton Ash defends freedom of expression as a cornerstone of democracy in a global, digitally interconnected world. The work proposes ten principles that balance freedom, responsibility and cultural diversity to create a plural and respectful public space.
Ash, Timothy Garton. "Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World." Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 29(1), (2017): 181-182. https://doi.org/10.5840/jis2017291/211
In this recording, Timothy Garton Ash examines the main contemporary challenges to freedom of expression, such as the growth of censorship, the power of large digital corporations, the role of state security agencies and the tensions between free speech, religion and satire.
Masha Gessen reflects on resistance to authoritarian regimes and the normalization of repression. Gessen defends the importance of outrage as an ethical and political position, and warns of the dangers of renouncing critical thinking and dissent.
Gessen, Masha. "Stay Outraged: A Conversation with Masha Gessen." World Policy Journal, 34(1), (2017): 55-59. https://doi.org/10.1215/07402775-3903568
Masha Gessen explores the way in which language shapes our understanding of the world and makes it possible to imagine alternative forms of social life. Gessen defends the transformative power of the word to challenge authoritarian narratives and open spaces for freedom and plurality.
Schwartz, Claire; Gessen, Masha. "Forward Thinking: Masha Gessen on Language and the Social Imagination." The Virginia Quarterly Review, 94(3), (2018): 188-195. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/forward-thinking-masha-gessen-on-language-social/docview/2121402364/se-2
The work examines the interrelationships between politics, economics, and the welfare state from Arendt's viewpoint. It highlights the importance of preserving public spaces and political freedom in the face of contemporary social and economic pressures.
Klein, Steven. "Fit to Enter the World: Hannah Arendt on Politics, Economics, and the Welfare State." The American Political Science Review, 108(4), (2014): 856-869. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055414000409
Jürgen Habermas analyses the legitimacy of law and deliberative democracy in modern societies. The author defends a model in which political regulation is based on rational public dialogue, guaranteeing citizen participation and coherence between social reality and legal values.
Michelman, Frank I. "Rev. of Between Facts and Norms." The Journal of Philosophy, 93(6), (1996): 307-315. https://doi.org/10.2307/2941077
Jürgen Habermas, by Michael Pusey, is a critical introduction to Habermas's social and political philosophy, focusing on his theory of communicative action and deliberative democracy. The work explores how Habermas links communicative reason with political legitimacy and social emancipation.
Pusey, Michael. Jürgen Habermas . Chichester: E. Horwood., 1987. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991001006084206712
Hannah Arendt analyses the fundamental forms of human activity: labour, work and action. The author highlights action as a source of freedom and plurality in the public sphere, and reflects on the crisis of modern life and the loss of spaces for thought and politics.
Arendt, Hannah. & Ricouer, Paul. La condición humana. Buenos Aires: Editorial Docencia, 2022. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/grqmh2/alma991000979789706712
Residents
The programme's participants invite us to reflect topics such as the ways we support and defend freedom of expression, independent journalism and the search for truth, taking them as fundamental elements of democracy.
Patrick Radden Keefe
CCCB biography of resident Patrick Radden Keefe.
Instagram account where he regularly posts content.
The writer's own website, where he documents all his literary output and the talks he has participated in.
UOC professor Ignasi Gozalo interviews Patrick Radden Keefe, who talks about storytelling to capture attention in a world full of distractions, the ethical limits of literary non-fiction, his transition to podcasts, the importance of characters in narrative construction and the challenge of explaining complex topics in short formats.
Gozalo Salellas, Ignasi; Keefe, Patrick Radden. Entrevista en profunditat a Patrick Radden Keefe. Recurs d'aprenentatgte textual, Fundació Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (FUOC), 2024. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991001086831606712
The author explores the dynamics of power, violence and human trafficking in urban Chinese communities and presents a critical analysis of criminal networks and their social and cultural implications in migratory contexts.
Radden Keefe, Patrick; Gil, R. (2024). Caps de serp: una crònica sobre el poder i el contraban de persones a Chinatown. Barcelona: Edicions del Periscopi SL, 2024. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC31789373
Compilation of biographies of marginal and transgressive figures, analysing how their careers challenge social norms and reveal the tensions between power, law and resistance in different historical contexts.
Radden Keefe, Patrick: Gil, Ricard. Canalles: Històries Verídiques Sobre Estafadors, Assassins, Rebels I Malfactors. Barcelona: Edicions del Periscopi, 2023. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC31313562
An analysis of the repercussions of the Northern Ireland conflict on collective and individual memory, reflecting on silence, repression and the need for reconciliation in contexts of political and social violence.
Radden Keefe, Patrick: Gil, Ricard. No Diguis Res: Una Història Real de Violència I Memòria a Irlanda Del Nord. Barcelona: Edicions del Periscopi, 2020. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_ebookcentral_EBC31313562
The author analyses how weapons and symbolic force shape the relationships of domination and resistance, highlighting the socio-cultural consequences of armed conflicts.
Radden Keefe, Patrick. "A Loaded Gun." The New Yorker. 89 (1), (2013): 71. https://www.proquest.com/magazines/loaded-gun/docview/1313181644/se-2?accountid=15299
Patrick Radden Keefe tells the story of the Sackler family and their Purdue Pharma company. The work examines obscure marketing practices, relations with institutions and the darker side of human ambition.
Keefe, Patrick Radden. L’imperi del dolor : la història secreta de la dinastia Sackler. Barcelona: Edicions del Periscopi, 2021. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/1asfcbc/alma991001072230706712
The work combines historical research and investigative journalism to analyse the implications of the interception of communications on security, privacy, and international politics. Through personal accounts and anecdotes, Keefe examines the tension between national security and civil rights, highlighting ethical dilemmas and operational failures in the gathering of intelligence. The work offers a critical view of surveillance practices and their implications in contemporary society.
Dolman, EC. Chatter: Dispatches from the Secret World of Global Eavesdropping. Middletown: American Library Association CHOICE, 2007. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/166h2gj/cdi_proquest_reports_225729437
Patricia Evangelista
CCCB biography of resident Patricia Evangelista.
Instagram account, where she regularly posts content.
X account, where she regularly shares content.
In this article the author documents how Duterte promoted and executed an anti-narcotics policy during his mandate, leading to more than 20,000 extrajudicial killings, with a high level of popular approval.
A chronicle of the war on drugs in the Philippines under Rodrigo Duterte. Patricia Evangelista combines journalistic research and the statements of witnesses to denounce extrajudicial killings and reveal the social and political effects of institutionalized violence.
Evangelista, Patricia. Some People Need Killing : A Memoir of Murder in the Philippines. London: Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated, 2023. https://discovery.biblioteca.uoc.edu/permalink/34CSUC_UOC/l8oqf8/alma991001113701506712
Journalist Patricia Evangelista delves into contemporary authoritarianism and invites us to reflect on the role of journalism in the face of discourses that legitimize violence and brutality.
The Filipina journalist's reflection on the paradoxical politics of her country, where politicians on trial continue to win elections. It highlights the impact of political violence on Philippine society and the persistence of a system that allows impunity.
Rappler's article exposes stories of Filipina girls who are victims of sex trafficking, revealing the dynamics of manipulation and exploitation. These narratives illustrate how poverty and a lack of job opportunities are factors that make these girls vulnerable. The book highlights the need for more effective public policies to combat human trafficking and protect girls' rights.
Transcripts from the podcasts of the Rappler investigative series documenting the war on drugs during Duterte’s presidency.
Librarians responsible for this library guide
Bárbara Badell
Operative subgroup: Librarian for Arts and Humanities, vocational training Operative group: Library for Learning