Have You Google Today?

Some time back the Magnum News Agency was, for the 3rd consecutive year, nominated as candidate for the Prince of Asturia Communication and Humanism Prize, but fell through of the final voting. It's historical prestige well established since before the Spanish Civil War didn't have enough weight, nor the perception of the squadron of journalists and reporters, dripping sweat pursuing headline stories, with dust up to their eyebrows, digging deep into the essence and aroma of the what, where, who and why's to present the facts. Nor the news photographers with their direct focus, better or worse illuminated to show the best and truest reality, for which many of them balance on the thin line of life and death to obtain.

No. The old and traditional graphic journalism brought up to date with the latest technology, is beaten by a single Click. There is no man behind it, not a single pulsation, no one to collect information, sort through it, organize it according to the required format nor priority. The judges of Prince of Asturia had pronounced the winner of the best news communication, named Google. " A gigantic cultural revolution. " it declared.

Thanks to Larry Page and Sergi Brin, the inventors of Google, anyone can now have his own news agency to free information. Not in vain this major oracle of Internet receives 200 million consultations daily. Once on their way through Spain, these young millionaire genius accepted an interview in ElMundo.es They only answered half the questions put to them because they were late to attend another appointment. For the rest of the questions, their Director of Sales was appointed to answer on their behalf with complete impunity. His answer to the question of the complicity with the censorship in China was: " We prefer not to pronounce on this." A great example of what is understood as journalism by the fathers of such exceptional tools to the world.

Google doesn't write or edit, no deontological code nor book of guidelines and styles. But they know everything. Like gods. Almost accepted as such. There are quite a lot of criticizing voices in the news media sector. Alex Grijelmo, president of Efe Newsagent said of it as 'journalism without soul.' The president of the Associated Press in Madrid said of the election as "paleta" - literally this word means paddle board in Spanish. I think Google deserve a lot of prizes but perhaps not the best press media communication, as it lacks individualism, with no proper register to identify who says what, where and when. No way to trace how the different links are put together, nor reliable ways to verify authenticity. It simply extend the tons of words and lay them out to let readers sort them out their own way.

I also can't help but wonder what happens to all the other news items that didn't appear on the Search. The stories, the names of people and places that didn't make their way to the computer screen because no one had got near enough to find them?


Google doesn't need to bother about having leaving anything out or apologise for any omission. Not like the traditional journalists and press photographers, willing to set foot on the land mines to get a single photo worthy of a thousand words.

Tags:Google,Newspress,Journalism

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