The current housing crisis in Spain has received extensive and diverse coverage across both Spanish and international media. In this article, I would like to highlight two contrasting approaches adopted by some news outlets, which I will describe as ideological and evidence-based, depending on whether their reporting has been primarily shaped by political ideology or informed by scientific knowledge and evidence.
Some media outlets have approached the housing crisis predominantly through an ideological lens. Those positioned on the political right have largely amplified the claims and proposals of right-wing parties and governments, while those aligned with the left have tended to do the same with left-wing parties and governments. The contrast is particularly revealing although they defend different, often opposing positions, they ultimately engage in a remarkably similar form of journalism. What characterises this approach is its subordination to partisan narratives: political claims are reproduced, while those elements of reality that appear to confirm them are selectively emphasised rather than critically examined and contrasted with independent evidence. This kind of journalism undermines the credibility of our profession and, ultimately, does a disservice to citizens and society.
Other media outlets have taken a different path, building their coverage around a plurality of voices and the best available scientific knowledge on the issue. Rather than practising a form of dogmatic journalism subordinated to politicians of one persuasion or another, they have contributed to the dignity and public value of our profession by providing citizens with information drawn both from people directly experiencing the crisis and from genuine experts with relevant scientific knowledge. I would highlight the international coverage by Al Jazeera and CNN as valuable examples of this approach. On the one hand, journalists reporting from the ground have brought the voices and experiences of citizens into the story. On the other, the experts invited to contribute have provided substantive knowledge and evidence that help audiences understand the complexity of the housing crisis beyond partisan narratives.
This is where journalism can recover its most important public purpose. Journalism does not tell citizens what to think; it gives them the evidence, context and plurality of perspectives they need to think for themselves. And this is also how journalism can rebuild public trust: by proving, through its everyday practice, that it is genuinely useful to people — helping them understand the world around them, make informed decisions and form their own opinions. When journalism serves citizens in this way, trust is not something it needs to demand; it is something it can earn.
Associate Professor of Department of Journalism and Communication Science of Autonomous University of Barcelona.