The University of Barcelona commemorates the 25 years of the master’s degree in Journalism BCN-NY

Josep Cuní, current head of Las Mañanas at Radio Nacional de España and founding director of the Master’s Degree in Journalism BCN-NY, spoke first of all about how the relationship with the Columbia Journalism School began, which led to the creation of the master’s degree. He said that “we defended and defend a project, a reality that has journalism as its flag, rigour as its standard and credibility as its goal”. “These are not good times, but they are great times to tell them if they are told well. The master’s degree is now part of our academic and professional reality”, the journalist concluded.

Then, Roberto Herrscher, the first director of the master’s, emphasized the quality training of the lessons: “We teach how to investigate the truth, to cite sources, to detect errors, to write, to produce content, and this, always done with rigour”. Jessica Mouzo, journalist for El País and former student of the degree, gave an emotional speech recalling her time in the classrooms. “Whenever I face a blank page or I don’t know how to continue, I go back to the master’s degree, to my teachers and to my manufacturers. I remember that in journalism you have to be humble; we are always apprentices”, said Mouzo, who acknowledged that the profession facing a bad time: “I often get angry with the occupational hazzards, but when I finish a report, I fall in love with the profession again, as well as when I meet the new students of the master’s degree. I reconcile myself with journalism”.

Frederic Vincent, the current director of the master’s, shared the critical diagnosis of the profession of those who spoke before him and dared to list the mistakes that journalists had made: “Stop reading, being lazy, being biased, always talking to the same sources or not carrying out any kind of verification, among others”. “We will continue to teach students to fight inch by inch to tell stories with roses but also with thorns”, he concluded.

On behalf of Columbia University, Jelani Cobb, Dean of the Journalism School, said he was honoured to be at the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the master’s degree. He also noted he was pleased with the strength of the ties between these two academic institutions, the University of Barcelona and Columbia University.

Finally, the rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia, insisted on the importance of journalism for democratic societies: “In different parts of the world, extremist groups focus on two objectives: discrediting science and discrediting those who report. These two areas are in this room today”. “Enjoy the responsibility of your profession and be respectful of truth and science, vaccines that do not expire”, Guàrdia concluded.