«At TVE we do not put a soundtrack of nuclear panic to the war in Ukraine»

In a few days and almost unexpectedly, the journalist Igor Gómez (San Sebastián, 46 years old) was commissioned to lead, together with Lara Siscar, the weekend edition of ‘Telediario’ on TVE. An opportunity, as he reveals it, to which one cannot and should not say no. The presenter cut his teeth professionally on Canal 24 Horas and was also co-host of the first stage of ‘La Hora de La 1’ together with Mònica López.

Is it an opportunity that you can’t say no to?

-The audiovisual sector works like this. And it is an opportunity to which you cannot and should not say no. I really like doing direct. I am the last link in a chain and it is a very big responsibility. I go to a ‘Telediario’ that already has a formed and consolidated team, for the weekend, in which, a priori, a calmer balance of current events is made. Although things are happening all the time since the pandemic. I didn’t think much of it.

-Present a ‘Telediario’ on TVE was one of your professional goals?

-Not especially. My main goal was to be a TVE communicator. Whether I get one place or another, I don’t care. Being on Canal 24 Horas has been fascinating for me, because there have been many hours live, with a very lively news and in which you have to be tremendously awake to go from one place to another. I think that now it is important to stop thinking about audiovisual hierarchies. I want to be a friendly face of TVE, who analyzes you and gives context to the present, trying to use a language of the 21st century, whatever the channel.

-He returns to La 1 after being one of the faces of Canal 24 Horas.

-Canal 24 Horas is one of the reasons that can most define me as a professional. I started, in a first stage, in the year 2000 and I returned in 2018. The fact of doing three hours live in the afternoon, and every day, means that there is no better training than that. It is the best television journalism master there can be. Because everything that can happen live happens to you. Telling a piece of news one day is not the same as telling it five or six times that same day, because you go on polishing it and you can take a different approach. Being able to analyze current events for many hours gives you a greater perspective and serenity about the news.

-What do you think you can contribute to the weekend news?

-I settle for making it easy for the audience and the team. For the viewers, I would like to be a friendly face that explains current affairs without fanfare and address them in normal language. And for the team, the presenters are the last link in the chain. They are all vital and if one fails, there is no information.

-The coverage of RTVE in the Ukraine is receiving good reviews, but the majority of the audience does not connect with La 1. The ‘Telediarios’ are the third option. What is failing?

-It is the demonstration of a debate in which we are today. That is, how we adapt audiovisual language and our public service function to a society that is addicted to short and powerful emotional impacts. At TVE we don’t play a nuclear panic soundtrack when we talk about Ukraine. We are not trying to scare or outrage anyone. In a society in which algorithms are taking care of trivializing us, it is very complicated. But we must also take into account the generational change in RTVE, for example. We have the ‘Lab RTVE’ and other proposals. But right now, as is the audiovisual language, public debate and social networks, which are making us addicted to a type of consumption that does not appeal to reason but to emotion. We have to see how we make that informative coverage, which has a very good review, have great public relevance. That’s where we are.

-The consumption of information is changing. It is no longer necessary to sit down at a fixed time to be informed.

-It is a debate in which all the generalist televisions are. There is a very strong generational change, and there are older people who continue to be faithful to their date and other younger people who decide to follow the information when they want, without a fixed schedule. We are in that transition, but being public television, we must address all audiences.

-Is Spain a country that does not value its public television? Political criticism is sometimes very harsh against RTVE.

-In this country a political communication manual has been imported, which comes from the United States, in which the debate is emotional and the important thing is that they talk about you. Now we see that in these controversies everything is taken out of context and a few years ago it could be a funny mistake. Today, that ruling is taken and it becomes a conspiracy. My big question is: Are we witnessing legitimate criticism of RTVE or an illegitimate use of public broadcasting to obtain electoral revenue?

-Would you make the leap to an entertainment format?

The truth is, no. Between seasonal inflation and pure entertainment, I prefer the former. In news there are also elements such as the interview or disclosure. I love science and international information. I see myself in any format, but we don’t know what the formats will be like in the future because they are changing, for example, the supports.

-Who is your reference in journalism?

The great reference of my life has been Ana Blanco. I met her on TVE and she knows it, because I always tell her. I adore her. She has not disappointed me. And the rest of the news team are ordinary people, without egos or arrogance, and they are appreciated.