The King praises journalism over "noise" and "simplification"

Journalism in uncertain times, but journalism. Light in the darkness. At the 105th edition of the Cavia, Luca de Tena and Mingote awards , King Felipe VI yesterday recognized the work of the press as an essential pillar, a sine qua non, of democracy. In his final speech at the awards ceremony at the headquarters of ABC and Vocento, before nearly two hundred guests dressed in evening dress, His Majesty delivered a message of hope for a profession recovering from a crisis, following the shift from paper to the digital environment, and facing the threat of artificial intelligence.

King Felipe, accompanied by Queen Letizia, celebrated journalism as "three ways of looking at the world": "Through rigor, commitment, and ingenuity." His entire speech rested on those three words, followed by personalities such as former Prime Minister José María Aznar, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Óscar López, the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso , and members of parliament such as Cuca Gamarra, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, and Pepa Millán. "A perspective," the King insisted, "that allows us to rediscover the journalism that remains when everything passes: the kind that observes, listens, and tells the essential; the kind that shuns simplification and reports in depth."

In his speech, as was inevitable this year, he remembered the victims of the flood , a theme that was very present throughout the evening. Not surprisingly, the central motif of one of the award winners was a photograph of a boy saving his sister's doll from the mud left by last October's flood in Valencia. "From here, the Queen and I send a greeting full of affection and encouragement to Joel—the subject of Txema Rodríguez 's image, Mingote 2025—his mother, Amparo, the rest of his family, and all those affected by the flood." It was the most emotional moment of an evening where the values ​​of journalism were fully realized, with Marqués de Murrieta wine to toast.

"In a context where society constantly demands information and the news supply is overwhelming, journalism must retain its essence: reporting truthfully, promoting public debate, and stimulating critical thinking. But it's not just about transmitting facts quickly; it's about doing so responsibly ," he asserted, adding: "Only in this way are democracies strengthened."

Furthermore, the King asked the media not to give in to the "noise" and "acceleration" that "often attempt to condition reality." "You must continue promoting the best journalism, that which does not renounce its principles. Without your work— responsible, honest, and rigorous —society would lose the very foundation of its capacity to discern and decide," the King instructed the journalists.

These three virtues—responsibility, honesty, and rigor—were extolled in the three award winners. Namely, the aforementioned Txema Rodríguez, the Argentine Jorge Fernández Díaz, winner of the Mariano de Cavia Award, and Carlos Alsina , who won the Luca de Tena Award, as he dreamed of in his youth. Don Felipe reserved words of recognition for all three. He told Jorge Fernández, who completes a triple after previously receiving the Medal of Hispanic Heritage and the Nadal Award, that his parents, Marcial and Carmina—Asturians who emigrated to Argentina—would proudly confirm their son's determination today: "Journalism was worth it."

Alsina, who rejected a career in the judiciary to pursue her vocation, was praised for her "voice, judgment, and sense," which, on her morning program on Onda Cero, "with fine irony" and "unmistakable skill," informs, opines, and analyzes current events in Spain and the rest of the world. And Rodríguez was applauded for her ability to find "a profound and unique story in each scene." "Today, you represent these three ways of looking at the world with rigor, commitment, and ingenuity . Congratulations also to ABC for promoting the best journalism through these awards, which remind us that bringing the world closer with honesty and context is always necessary," she concluded. A standing ovation crowned her recognition of the profession, before dinner and the customary toast began.

Don Felipe and Doña Letizia arrived at ABC's headquarters, as they do every year, amid great anticipation from the editorial staff. They were greeted by the President of the Community of Madrid, the Minister for Digital Transformation, the President of Vocento, Álvaro Ybarra, and the Director of ABC, Julián Quirós . They then greeted dignitaries such as former President Aznar, the Chinese ambassador, Yao Jing, his Greek counterpart, Aglaia Balta, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States, Rian Harris, the CEO of Vocento, Manuel Mirat, the Executive President of Indra, Ángel Escribano, the Secretary General of Iberdrola, Santiago Martínez, and the General Manager and Director of Corporate Banking at Banco Sabadell, Cristóbal Paredes. Of course, they also greeted the President of the Awards Jury, the President of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Santiago Muñoz Machado, and the three winners.

The King and Queen then moved to the auditorium to attend the awards ceremony sponsored by Iberdrola, Indra, and Banco Sabadell. They sat at the Mariano de Cavia table alongside the evening's stars: the director of ABC, the president of Vocento, and other prominent figures. As last year, the director was led by ABC journalist Karina Sainz Borgo, who then introduced the audience. The first speech was given by Ignacio Ybarra, and then, as the opening act for the awardees, the president of the Jury and the RAE (Royal Academy of Spanish Academy) offered various compliments. Fernández Díaz, recognized for his article against populism in 'La Nación,' was described as a journalist with "the right erudition and the poise of a great writer." He highlighted Alsina's ability to "clear through the media without anger." He praised Rodríguez's photography for its "simplicity and beauty."

Amid applause, it was the honorees' turn to be honored, who only followed the King's speech and the traditional cheers for him and for Spain. Jorge Fernández Díaz emphasized the work of independent journalists: "The spoilsports who refuse to be militants or chameleons, or to submit to the affectionate demand for double standards that some of their own readers demand of them." Carlos Alsina, who made his debut at this station before "marrying" the microphone, confessed that his then boss at ABC planted doubt in his heart when he warned him that he would never win the Luca de Tena award on the airwaves. Thirty-five years later, who would have thought it, he returned to the centennial newspaper to thank it for providing him with "relief" by freeing himself from "the burden" that, he joked, he had carried for so long.

Txema Rodríguez, in a moment also of great emotional intensity, recounted how the day after learning he had won the Mingote Award for the photo he took of Joel, Amparo, the mother of the boy who rescued his sister's doll, called him to congratulate him. He thanked her, and she, one of the many affected by the Dana, gave voice to a people: "Thank you for giving visibility to our lives during those days when families had to manage without the help of those who, in theory, were supposed to help us."