If you go to London read González

Choosing a book to read is one of the hardest decisions you have to make in your life. There are so many and so good books that it is very difficult. Honestly, I think it is impossible to read everything you would like because there isn’t enough time. One of the problems is when you start reading a bad book and you feel that you are wasting your time. Fortunately, I have been lucky with my last choice. I was wishing to read it. Furthermore, the other I decided to go in the tube to read some chapters.

I don’t remember how or where but I found out that Enric González a Spanish journalist who now works for El Mundo had a book about London. As you know, England’s capital is one of my favourite cities and I like to consume anything linked to the city. I have to say that I already read a book of González about Rome that I really enjoyed.

I start reading ‘Historias de Londres’ and soon realized that I had made a great decision. It is a short book but it has many different stories about the city. González explains us things related to the history of the town, deeps in the royal family or he tackles two topics which I am very interested in: press and football. 

It is really fascinating how he explains the different newspapers that you can find in London and some curious stories about them. You can go back in time and imagine when Fleet Street was the capital of journalism. Something similar happens when he writes about football: all the main teams you can find in the city and a few ideas of them so you don’t hesitate who to support.

‘Historias de Londres’ is a book that you read fast because it is very interesting and also because Enric González writes great. He is able to build easy paragraphs with short sentences and usual words. Is a very simple style but really good; I think it is one of the keys of the book. He has the ability to be funny without really trying. I have enjoyed a lot this book for two reasons: the stories are really good and interesting and the author has a lovely style. It is a shame that you can only read it in Spanish but it is really worth it.

Getting worse

15 years ago I started to study Journalism. I think I always wanted to be a Journalist. During the Olympic Games held in Barcelona I tried to write a newspaper with my sister. When I played with my videogames I use to narrate the matches as if I was in the stadium. Obviously, Journalism is not only about narrating or writing, but things like these probably helped me to decide my future. After 15 years I am disappointed and I have lost faith in this profession.

When you tell people that you work as a Journalist, normally, they think it is a great job. They respect it despite in the last years the point of view of some people has changed due to some programs or professionals that give a very bad image.

I continue thinking that Journalism it’s a very respectful career or job but it is true that in the last years we have some examples that don’t help us.

I studied a lot and worked hard during all my life to become a Journalist. It cost me a lot to have an opportunity and I have worked thousands of hours (and I continue doing it) to achieve part of my dreams. I think I have a good academic training and I like to keep updated. I do really think that I deserve what I have been able to get.

However, this is not the reality. In the last years it looks like everyone can work as a Journalist. I receive a lot of calls saying that “I have a blog and...”. I am sorry but I don’t think that writing in a blog or chatting in a radio program gives you the same authority as a Journalist. Do you imagine a lawyer or a doctor working without studies? When it has happened, it has been newsworthy and the people involved have been thrown out.

Journalists have to fight for a job with politics, ex football players, celebrities or anyone who thinks that can work as a journalist. I don’t imagine a football player designing a house. 

I think our academic training  is important. Obviously, it is not a scientific career or you don’t have to read thousands of books, but all the things you do during the four years of University is important.

I think Journalist is in trouble and somebody should act. Maybe the Journalist School should force the newspapers, radio and press departments to contract people that have the career and that are collegiate members. I don’t know, but we have to try to be a respectful job. I know many times are the shame journalists who spoiled our profession but things can’t continue like these.

As I wrote a few months ago, we have to stand up for ourselves because we have to change things. I know that there have been meetings in the past and good wishes but nothing has been done. Do you have any idea?

Happy anniversary, EFE!

Today, 13th of February, the main news agency in Spanish, EFE, celebrates its 75th anniversary. This post is very special for me because I had the honour to work for EFE a few years ago.

I am not going to write about the story of EFE along the years. If you search on the Internet, you can find a lot of information. This time I am going to write about my experience.

In 2002 I was still studying and I decided to do further practice. They gave me the opportunity to work for EFE as an intern for the Financial section. I remember I was scared because I thought I wasn’t ready to work for this section. I also have to say that I really wasn’t very interested, but everything changed when I started working there.

They were only four months, but they were great. I learnt a lot, specially from Marcos Lamelas, a great journalist who is always after the news. In the end I really enjoyed my time there and many times I wondered what would have happened had I accepted the offer they made me when I finished my university career. I will never know.

After a few years working for Blanc i Blau, on November 2005 I received a phone call from Javier Giraldo, who was working for EFE at the time, asking me to have a meeting with Paco Ávila, the sport division manager. I became RCD Espanyol correspondent and I helped with everything I could (Barcelona, handball, basketball...).

I worked for them until July 2010. It was really great. I wrote about some of the best stories of the team even though they left me out of important moments like the Spanish Cup final or the UEFA final. I worked hard and I think I did quite well. My time there was very important in my career.

If I could, I would like to work for EFE again. The news agency gives you the opportunity to explain stories and even though times are changing, you don’t have the same pressure. When you write in a newspaper you have to empty full pages; there is no negotiation and, a lot of times, you finish writing about stupid stories to fill up the empty page. In a news agency you can really write about those piece of news interesting; it is different.

I will never forget my experience at the Agencia EFE. I really enjoyed my time with Paco, Jesús, Ginés, Alex, Javi and all the people that made possible that the sports section worked so well. I know that now things are difficult and they have their problems, but who doesn’t?

Happy anniversary!

Journalists, stand up for yourselves!

I remember when I began working as a journalist. In the year 2000 I started working for Blanc i Blau, a newspaper that no longer exists but where I learnt many things. Obviously, I worked hard and many hours for not much money but I was younger and I wanted to do my best. Honestly, I think I did even though the newspaper finally closed.

In Catalonia there are thousands of journalists. Of course, there are a lot of young boys and girls who want to start their careers and they do all the efforts that are necessary. I understand because in these difficult days it is normal that you try to do your best to obtain a profit in the future.

However, what I dislike a lot is that people work for free. Nowadays you can find a lot of media with young people that don’t earn any money for their job. The other day somebody showed me an offer of a radio that even asked the journalists to pay 100 € to work for a program. Are we crazy?

Being a journalist was something that people just to admire in the past. However, I think it has changed and a lot of people think that is a job full of lies. I also think that journalists are the first who are destroying the good name of this job.

It is absolutely terrible that people work for free. I think you have to stand for yourself and give value to your profession. We already have too many people working that don’t have the education or come from other fields.

I understand these young people who are starting but we have to stand up for ourselves, we need that journalism turns again into a respectable profession and the first who have to believe and try hard are all the people that work in media or press departments.

A new project

I have been working as sport journalist for more than 13 years. First of all, writing for different newspapers and a news agency and, in the last years, for RCD Espanyol’s press department. I really like my job and I think I am very lucky. 

However, lately, I have got tired about writing and talking about the same subjects and stuff. I need a space where I can write about my ideas, my thoughts. That is the reason I think this blog will help me to achieve my aim and it will help me to improve my English.

One of the things I like more is going out running. I like to do some sport every day to try to keep fit, but this is not the only reason. While I run, I think, I observe, I imagine. When I get back home, I usually arrive with many ideas, histories in my head. 

I have forgotten many of them, because I never spent the time to put them down on a piece of paper or posted them in a blog. I think it is a shame, because I had good stories. Since I was a child, I liked writing but I haven’t been very constant.

I think this a big opportunity to try something new that will be good for me. I want to improve my English and I am sure that this project will help me. I have tried to start a blog before and I haven’t been able to keep it updated. 

I hope this time is different and that I have the willpower to write once or twice a week. And, of course, I hope you find my thoughts and histories interesting for you.