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Chronicle's Paco Oliva and his comments harm local journalism!
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Through the Looking Glass
by Leo Olivero
Paco Oliva is one of Gibraltar’s most seasoned journalists; he holds a position of great responsibility on the Gibraltar Chronicle’s senior editorial team.
Oliva himself is no stranger to controversy, I’m sure he will tell you this himself.
Over the years his many articles have been written in his inimitable style, I have never really agreed with any of his views. His articles have infuriated countless Gibraltarians and have been heavily criticised over the years. There are few in Gibraltar who share Paco Oliva’s fundamental principles which he constantly tries to defend, this regarding entrenched ideals on the Spanish dimension in relation to Gibraltar.
Everyone is entitled to have opinions and express them the best way they think is appropriate. Although Oliva as a journalist and senior member of the editorial staff of a daily newspaper must, in my view, abide by some journalistic guidlines in the manner he is allowed to express his personal and deeply rooted opinions which constantly clash with the majority of the local population.
Paco Oliva incensed many people last week {nothing new there I suppose} in his latest Chronicle article headed ‘Politics and Football Rage’. Oliva gives his own unique overview on how he put it ‘Spain’s progression and ultimate triumph in the tournament which exposed the underlying painful, often irrational contradictions that are symptomatic of the many unresolved issues of identity that are lastingly pounding in our community’s nerve centres’
Oliva went on to compare 11 RGP arrests on world cup football night to the infamous ‘Dove’ riots of 1967 and the Fast Launch problem of 1996, he said the world cup night arrests by police were both these historical incidents rolled into one, and that ‘Something is not quite right in our social organisation when the result of a football match can generate such anger as to transform 400 of our youths into an uncontrolled mob’
He also greatly exaggerated the incident to fit his argument and accentuate the point he was trying to put across, he was not correct with his estimation that there was a mob of 400 uncontrollable local youths. As I recall it, there was a large crowd the majority of which were onlookers, and only 40 to 50 youths who were the real trouble makers.
The RGP also confirmed that only about 50 of these youths caused the problems, the rest of the crowd were lookers who dispersed peacefully - so said the Police!
Oliva was completely off base again when he tried to make this incident of 11 arrests far worse than the notorious ‘Dove Riots’ and the 'Fast Launch’ troubles many years ago.
With respect to him, he should seriously find some time to read some back editions of the Chronicle regarding the Dove Riots and Fast Launch problems, he may learn something and how grossly exaggerated his world cup night recollection was.
I want to make one thing clear; no one should condone any type of criminal disorder of any kind on our streets. There is no room in our society for such behaviour from anyone; I agree that law enforcement agencies should come down hard on such behaviour. However, I have to say that when reporting on such an important social matter, it has to be done with a large measure of ‘keeping things in perspective’ and not going over the top in an attempt to paint a negative scenario based on a blinkered view rooted in someone’s subconscious on a situation that does not exist in reality.
PUBLIC CRITICISE OLIVA AND CHRONICLE FOR ALLOWING INSULTING ARTICLES
Many people have condemned Oliva’s opinion column last week as totally biased, unbalanced and partisan in favour of the Spanish dimension. Personally I thought there was only one angle to the article and that was pretty obvious. It is a shame really because Oliva is a gifted writer, although he does tend to get ahead of himself in a blind attempt to project his true inner-self and fundamental well known beliefs.
Oliva in another part of this article criticised individuals who made inflammatory comments against those many locals who had supported the Spanish football team and went on to insult the intelligence of many local online writers.
This article as I have said has created an almighty storm not only on social networking sites but from others who do not use this online vehicle of communication.
In fact some people I have spoken to, tell me they have written to the Chronicle complaining about their article and are waiting for letters to be published. Many people are extremely indignant about Oliva’s provocative words, they also criticise the Gibraltar Chronicle for allowing him to write these defamatory articles against Gibraltarians, and not for the first time either.
Although with the greatest respect he made his biggest mistake - and where he ‘scored an own goal’ if you like- when he got into the internet mix of things and started to exchange verbal and insulting blows with the online local community.
I think Oliva forgot who he was and what he represents and how he earns a living.
He has a position where he receives a high level of public trust as a journalist and news editor at the Chronicle. I think there is a price to be paid for a person in such a position, I’m not saying the loss of his personal opinions, but care about when, where and how these views are expressed, particularly on the subject matter of Nationality and Spain.
OLIVA PROUD OF SPANISH BLOOD THAT RUNS THROUGH HIS VEINS
What kind of reaction does Oliva expect when he is having these intense verbal online rants with a group of locals, who if truth be told, were giving him a strong piece of their mind? However, I cannot understand why he chose Facebook to inform the world (in Spanish of course) he was “Gibraltarian with a Spanish mother and three Spanish grandparents and is proud of the Spanish blood that runs through his veins”
Well, Paco Oliva may be proud of the Spanish blood running inside him and ‘no one’ is denying him that, it is something that should really be respected, but for a journalist of his standing to openly say this in a middle of a heated ‘war of words’ with Gibraltarians, precisely on an issue that has Gibraltar, Spain and national identity connotations, I find this unethical to say the least. Then a few days later Oliva in his article insults locals!
I personally feel he was wrong to indulge in a war of words with members of the local community, even if he was getting some heavy stick from them, he should have risen above all that. As a professional and experienced journalist that he is, he should not have openly exposed himself by giving such an empathetic statement of his pro-Spanishness even if Spain did win the world cup and all the Spanish euphoria also running in his blood!
I remember reading somewhere ‘that journalists must recognise that any content associated with them in an online social network is, for practical purposes, the equivalent of what appears beneath their bylines in the newspaper they represent or their website.’
There is no intention here of insulting his integrity and credibility as a journalist, although he has always appeared not particularly worried about what the people of Gibraltar think of him in this respect. I think that professionally he did not act ethically with his views, particularly if you consider the historical and current sensibilities that have an effect on the majority of locals regarding Spain and the Spanish flag.
Having said that, I do not agree that he is anti-Gibraltarian, although people will naturally think that of him, especially if he keeps reminding us of how proud he is of his Spanish blood line - you can’t really quarrel with the many locals who seriously ask about his objective and balanced writing when a Gibraltar – Spanish issue crops up!
The Washington Post newspaper tells its reporters that ‘all journalists relinquish some of their personal privileges of private citizens, this paper issued the following guidelines to their editorial and reporting staff regarding official and private activity on social networking sites.
The guidelines in question also address the “public perception problem”, a section reads:
“When using these networks, nothing we do must call into question the impartiality of our news judgment. We never abandon the guidelines that govern the separation of news from opinion, the importance of fact and objectivity, the appropriate use of language and tone, and other hallmarks of our brand of journalism.
It continues: “Washington Post journalists must refrain from writing, tweeting or posting anything – including photographs or video – that could be perceived as reflecting political, racial, sexist, religious or other bias or favoritism that could be used to tarnish our journalistic credibility."- end.
I think the Gibraltar Chronicle would do well to take note of these guidelines!
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