With 50 years of career behind him (head of Europa Press, delegate of the Efe Agency in London and Washington and director or founder of more than a dozen magazines), Juan Caño (Madrid, 1945) has been elected president of the Asociación de la Prensa de Madrid (APM) - the largest in Spain with 5,000 associates - at a time when the profession in general and its professionals in particular face significant challenges and difficulties.

What is the most urgent challenge facing the APM at this time? One of the main objectives is the incorporation of young journalists to the association. For this, we are going to reduce the fees for young associates and promote training courses in different areas, both face-to-face and online. Have press associations become obsolete with the new professional context? Right now, for example, the imputation of 12 partners for revelation of summary secrets in the case of the CoR highlights the absolute need for an association to defend fundamental rights. We are climbing steps towards a true precipice that points to the horizon for our profession. If the freedom of information and freedom of expression goes out, it is as if the light in our house goes out. We remain in the dark and groped. It seems that certain rights that have long been taken for granted are back in discussion. Remember that you cannot point to the messenger. Silence is not the journalist's weapon. Silence is the official's obligation. What the journalist has to do is reveal. If not, there is no journalism, but releases. And that is what we have to prevent. What should be the function of an entity like the APM: defend the conceptual principles of journalism or address the specific problems of journalists? We must work in the double sense. In the founding statutes of the APM, in addition to talking about the defense of freedom of expression and freedom of information, there is talk of defending the dignity of the journalist. Journalism has never been a good way to get rich, but precariousness has reached worrying limits. How can this situation be reversed? The APM must denounce the deterioration due to low salaries and the bad reputation of our profession. But this is not just a matter of the APM, it is a matter of society because it has lost confidence in journalism. In 2020, the 125th anniversary of the APM is celebrated and we will organize a great exhibition to demonstrate what has been the contribution of journalism to Spanish society at this time so that everyone realizes the value to be given to our profession. The situation of change in journalism towards a new model has plunged the media into moments of confusion. How does the APM face this adaptation? We are very aware that journalism is reinventing itself and we have to accompany this reinvention process by ensuring that journalists' rights are not impaired. And in that process of transforming journalism, what things Should we safeguard and maintain above any change? Some values, such as ethics, have to be immovable. It is essential that any innovative initiative does not affect any fundamental right and we must be vigilant. In these elections the APM has only voted 16% of the census. Why this low participation? There are great difficulties to vote because you have to move to the center of Madrid. One of the proposals we have in this new stage is to implement electronic voting. But unfortunately the partners have been very reluctant not only to vote, but to participate in the assemblies held annually. As with neighborhood associations, if there is no serious problem, people do not go to meetings. For the first time, the Board of Directors of the APM will be composed of more women than men (13 vs. 10). , like most of the Spanish associations and institutions, it has been sexist. That recognition is taking time. The role of women is fundamental in all levels and I wanted to reflect it with the composition of the Board of Directors that accompanies me. As most decisions are taken by majority, as there are more women, the feminine sensibility that did not exist before will be very evident in this new stage.

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