Already in one of the first issues of La Vanguardia, a desperate mayor sent the following request, published on March 3, 1881: “As authorities of this unfortunate town of Puigcercós, and on behalf of this distressed neighborhood, we allow ourselves to disturb your attention to see if you would like to open a subscription to your accredited newspaper to alleviate the distressing situation of the twenty-five or thirty poor residents who are deprived of shelter.”
The 19th century was industrial, commercial and journalistic. The news begins to fly – from carrier pigeons to the telegraph –, the great powers set up news agencies – the pioneer, France-Presse, emerged in 1835 under the name of Havas; Associated Press and Reuters follow – and in Barcelona they cook beans: the political alternation of the Restoration, the struggle over the economic model and the imminent Universal Exhibition of 1888. Hence La Vanguardia, founded on February 1, 1881 by Carlos and Bartolomé Godó Lallana, as a newspaper at the service of the liberal party, but which took a Copernican turn in 1888, when it was seen – keeping the distance but without complexes – in The Times of London.
And what does the plea from the Puigcercós authorities mean, then? News, but also a sense of community. Along with the great causes – progress, the main one –, newspapers create bonds of trust with the society they serve.
In Europe there were 6,000 newspapers registered in 1870, which would rise to 12,000 in 1900. Most have disappeared and none of those that have survived lack a vital asset: the trust of their readers, a gentlemen's agreement valid today to sift through the hoaxes. that circulate on the networks and in the news.
If newspapers “are the second hand of History” (Schopenhauer), the fight against the clock is the eternal determining factor. When this newspaper switched to a plural information model in 1888, it highlighted on the front page its commitment to technological modernization and its ability to publish on the same day a court ruling – that of the “Pelayo Street crime” –, handed down at four o'clock. mid-morning.
Breaking the news as soon as possible is a commandment of journalism. Also one of its risks. Minutes count: the newsrooms of 2023 live more alert than ever, 24 hours out of 24, seven days out of seven. They capture globalization better than anyone.
To gain a “community of readers,” the media at the end of the 19th century made an effort to present the facts objectively. “Give opinion the data for its judgment,” this newspaper promised on February 21, 1888. The facts were sacred – and if possible verified – a valid assertion. It is true that manipulation and fake news are not a disease of the 21st century. Thus, the sensationalism of the New York Journal by William Randolph Hearst, a great press magnate who is attributed with the following order to his special envoy to Cuba on the eve of the confrontation with Spain in 1898: “You put the postcard, and I I will start war.”
Faced with the sensationalist temptation, responsible media emerged at the end of the 19th century that invested in correspondents and independents. Circulations are growing and advertising is abundant. Even modest and endearing, such as this advertisement in La Vanguardia: “José Pereyra González congratulates all his relatives, friends and acquaintances (Valga for the entire year 1888).”
The invention of the Internet in 1983 and the appearance of networks transforms information and the way of “wrapping” and transmitting news (journalism). Suddenly, the media acquires global reach – anyone can consult their newspaper from anywhere – and we are approaching instantaneousness. More seconds hand than Schopenhauer imagined...
The war in Ukraine, the earthquake in Morocco, tomorrow God will say... Digital media transmit the palpitation of the world – as always – but with graphic and visual aids that help to understand and locate oneself. And far from cooling the relationship with the audience, they have the option and the right to write their point of view, thus strengthening the bond of complicity, essential for the survival of today's media.
