Features
Carles Ribera and Pere Bosch
“We aim to do rigorous and in-depth journalism”
Over a dozen experienced journalists have been preparing the launch of the new weekly magazine, La República, for weeks. The project instigated by employee-led company Maig 2011 is headed by Carles Ribera and Pere Bosch.
Where did the idea come from?
CR: Catalonia is still not a republic, but there is a republican Catalonia of more than two million people who feel comfortable with the concept. La República aims to be a reference point for this Catalonia that has embraced republicanism as normal, in a political but above all a civic sense. There are newspapers and magazines in many countries with this title. Why not in Catalonia?
Isn’t the crisis in the press a concern?
CR: The printed press has been in decline since the 1990s, but we mustn’t confuse decline with obsolescence. The typewriter is obsolete because computers do the same thing better. The printed press is in decline because it has competition from other sources, but papers still have some life left in them. If you analyse the press market, you see that the printed press still generates more business than the digital press. Coming out on paper has its risks, but it is not suicidal.
What will La República’s style be like?
CR: The name of the publication clearly has political overtones, but we want to produce a weekly that focuses attention on any issue of general interest. We will try to produce in-depth journalism that is responsible and rigorous, and to do it without fear.
Will a range of diverse opinion be essential to the new product?
PB: The idea is to have people of diverse sensibilities and from different walks of life.
What will the content be like?
CR: We will deal with a large and extensive issue with a specific focus. There will be a lot of features and reports, dealing with both domestic and international issues. There will also be in-depth interviews. PB: We will also have innovative sections, such as La República Jove, aimed at a specific audience, in this case young people.
How will you reach out to people?
CR: Reader participation is a key aspect and something we want to foster.
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