The activity was part of the IFJ project "Rewriting the story" in which several IFJ member unions are involved.It aims to improve the portrayal of politicians in Spain ahead of EU and national elections.
For women politicians in particular, some journalistic approaches have become essential, such as the law of reversibility (would you ask a man the same question?) or the openness of the journalistic approach to issues and proposals rather than to personal circumstances.
The training was led by Lucia Quiroga, one of IFJ’s pool of trainers, and based on the project’s own modules.
Lucía Quiroga reminded trainees of “the attitude of listening, questioning, respecting and consulting," both interviews and sources in order to produce ethical journalism free from bias.
Another part of the training was dedicated to learning to detect biases and pay attention to intersectionality. A specific module on the portrayal of LGBTiAQ+ groups was introduced by CCOO trainer Marc Cebrián. Showing a plural society is a duty of good journalism, as today "there is no 100% safe space" for LGBT people. Inclusive language is one of the main tools to fight against bias Cebrián insisted.