Luis Gasulla, journalist and director of the Periodismo y Punto portal, presented his book “Once upon a time in Argentina”, within the framework of the Book Fair. There he reflected on his role within the union, spoke of his alleged inclination towards one side of the crack and criticized journalism dependent on official guidelines. “Gabriela Cerruti’s investigation of the Macri family is a valuable book,” Gasulla stressed, “but she abandoned journalism when she got into party politics.”
News: Has investigative journalism awakened in people a greater interest in politics?
Louis Gasulla: In the ’90s there was a glorious stage of investigative journalism. Later, during the first Kirchnerism, it absolutely declined. There were media outlets that continued to investigate, as was the case of the magazine Noticias y Perfil. But many journalistic popes, for ideological or economic reasons, approached the government of Néstor Kirchner. The clearest example is that of Horacio Verbitsky with his “Robbery for the Crown”. In those years, “militant” journalism emerged. The truth is that people demand news all the time, so new research must be generated. That means that no one is surprised or shocked by anything.
News: Do the journalistic reports make the judges feel “under the spotlight” and that the cases move forward?
Gasulla: Without proof, causes usually fail. I discuss Cristina’s theory about “lawfare” to the death. Journalism does not arm causes. You can be wrong in news, but then they fall judicially. In Argentina, where Justice works slowly, there are judges and prosecutors who are time-serving or opportunistic, and for society, journalism plays the role of Justice. Journalism does not judge, should not judge. He investigates, denounces, tells stories, comments on reality, but he does not have the hammer of Justice. It does not sentence, but many relevant investigations of corruption were born from journalistic investigations.
News: What is the biggest threat to journalistic objectivity?
Gasulla: Embandering in a political or economic cause. Being able to avoid it depends on journalistic ethics and intellectual honesty.
News: Do you consider yourself totally independent and objective?
Gasulla: Absolute independence does not exist. In the places where I practice journalism I try to stretch the limits as much as possible and present stories and investigations of what I consider to be news. When investigating power there are interests of all kinds. But the journalist has, even more so in times of social networks, various ways of avoiding them. The information will end up being published even if this or that medium is not interested in it.
News: Doesn’t your work at Radio Rivadavia, at LN+ and at Periodismo y Punto place you very close to one of the sides of “the crack”?
Gasulla: I work in the media that call me and that I am interested in being. For six years I collaborated with “Perfil.com” and I did not change my thinking or my independence. I also worked at América and Channel 9, which are not exactly media outlets at odds with the current government. Channel 9 kicked me out when Alberto Fernández came to power. Do you want me to work at Radio 10? If C5N or Page 12 were pluralists, they would call journalists who investigate Kirchnerism. I cannot take charge of the interests defended by their owners. During the Macri government, from Periodismo y Punto we published the list of wealthy people who were relatives of Cambiemos officials in power, to cite an example. In the book “The political business of public works”, they are on the cover: Cristina, Néstor, Mauricio and their father. Fans do not want journalism that makes them uncomfortable. They only want publicists of their story.
*María Gabriela Maidana is a student at the Profile Communication School.
by Maria Gabriela Maidana*
