The demonstrations against the amnesty began 10 days ago in the Ferraz area of Madrid. All networks have experienced a magnificent increase in viewership. Not just the informative ones. Also the magazines.
‘Everything is a lie’ (Cuatro) achieved its record figure: 7.5% audience share. La Sexta, in particular, has distinguished itself in this climb. ‘Más Vale Tarde’ has reached a season record: 9.1% audience share. ‘Red hot’, the same: 14.1%. ‘El intermedia’ closed its best week of the year: 7.8%. Perhaps the most significant has been ‘La SextaXplica’: it has gone from its usual 5% to 9.4% this Saturday, also a record figure. It is more complicated to assess what exactly the audience’s interest consists of. There will be those who follow the live streams regretting the attitude of the ultras and there will be those who, watching the cobblestones fly, enjoy it. Within this contemplation, journalists are acquiring superlative relevance. A ‘malgré nous’ relevance. We are protagonists – without intending to be – because of the attacks they inflict on us.
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In the battle of Ferraz I have seen the violent people shake and rebuke teams from TVE, Antena 3, La Sexta, Cuatro, CNN… In the Barcelona demonstration a month ago against the amnesty I saw a TV3 team rebuked by some hotheads calling them «’Nazis!’». Now in Madrid the cries were: «Piece of faggot / Disgraces / Get out of here / Liars / Manipulative Spanish press» . I even heard a “Masons!” but I couldn’t tell you against which television team.
The other day I went to have a drink at a bar near my home. It was almost empty. A couple came in, in their thirties, and she said to the bartender: «Put on the TV, ‘pliis’». And his companion added: “Put it on, because at this time in Madrid they must already be beating up journalists.” I didn’t notice that they said it with joy. It was not a tone to prepare to enjoy. I think it was simply a curiosity to see the cobblestones, the police charge and, above all, the colorful expletives and gestures against the journalists, equipped with helmets and protective vests as if they were in Ukraine, but who were in Madrid. Ah! The informative service, which is only a message between the event and the public, has been transformed. They place us as part of the event, without being it. On TV everything is a spectacle.