King Felipe VI: “The work of journalists is irreplaceable, and no technology can replace it”

The Diplomat King Felipe VI took advantage of his speech on Monday at the awards ceremony for the King of Spain International Journalism Awards 2026 to champion the work of journalists: “No technology can replace the intuition of those who detect a story where others only see data.” The Monarch presided over the 43rd edition of the King of Spain International Journalism Awards 2026 at Casa de América, organized by the EFE News Agency and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID). Established in 1983, these awards recognize the best journalism in Spanish and Portuguese within the Ibero-American sphere and acknowledge work that strengthens mutual understanding between countries, promotes human rights, sustainability, and culture, and fosters civic participation and democratic values. The award consists of a €10,000 prize per category and a bronze sculpture by the artist Joaquín Vaquero Turcios, presented by the King of Spain, depicting the flag of the Ibero-American Community of Nations. The artist, who passed away in 2010, drew inspiration from the wind as an ally, sails as instruments, and the flag as a symbol of reaching the Americas. Previous recipients include the Peruvian-Spanish Nobel Laureate in Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa; and the international photographer Sebastião Salgado, winner of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (1998). Spanish writers Arturo Pérez-Reverte and Juan José Millás, Uruguayan writer Carmen Posadas, and Colombian writer Daniel Samper were among the recipients. “We have never had so much information, but abundance does not always bring clarity” After the awards ceremony, the King spoke, emphasizing that “we have never had access to so much information, nor has it ever been so easy to share it,” but cautioning that “abundance does not always bring clarity; sometimes it adds new layers of complexity to our understanding of the world.” “The technological revolution has made the need for human judgment more evident, a judgment so closely linked to the ability to listen, to compare, and to interpret facts,” he continued. “And that is where the work of journalists is irreplaceable, because no technology can replace the intuition of someone who detects a story where others only see data, nor the sensitivity to listen and understand, or to analyze from other points of view, other subjectivities, nor the ability to formulate the right question; or the responsibility to verify the facts before sharing them.” “Journalism helps to form opinions, strengthens critical thinking, and contributes to citizens being able to fully exercise their freedom; faced with oversimplification, it provides nuance; faced with disinformation, it presents evidence; and faced with indifference, it reminds us that there are real people behind every news story, with names, faces, and circumstances that deserve to be understood,” the Monarch stated. 2026 Award winners NARRATIVE AWARD "Asystole: Death from Within" A podcast from Cadena SER (Spain), by Aimar Bretos and Víctor Olazábal, which addresses death frankly and without euphemisms, with narration and sound design that effectively convey the emotion of something so human and delicate. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND HUMANITARIAN ACTION AWARD "Rio Grande, the River of a Thousand Migrant Deaths" A transnational investigation by El Universal (Mexico), in collaboration with Lighthouse Reports and the Washington Post, which documents the alarming increase in drowning deaths of migrants attempting to cross the Rio Grande. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD “Land of Arsonists” This podcast from the digital magazine Divergente (Portugal) travels the country from north to south to explore the causes of arson in the context of rural exodus, abandoned fields, and climate change, taking a unique approach by interviewing the arsonists themselves. CULTURAL AWARD “Counterculture” The cultural project from the digital media outlet Contracorriente (Honduras) uses artistic expressions by authors from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to tell the story of resistance in Central America, publishing it in a print magazine. PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD “L’Horta Sud” A photograph by Óscar Corral, published in El País (Spain), highlights the work of public services, represented by a group of firefighters, after the devastating storm that struck Valencia in October 2024, causing 230 deaths. AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING MEDIA OUTLET IN IBERO-AMERICA Aos Fatos A Brazilian journalistic organization with a pioneering track record in Latin America for investigating, confronting, and documenting how digital platforms shape communication and operate as vectors of disinformation. With ten years of history, its model integrates journalism, data, AI, and civic technology. EFE AWARD EFE News Agency Delegation in Jerusalem (Israel) This award recognizes the "exemplary" work of the Agency's delegation in Jerusalem during the war in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, following a massive Hamas attack against Israel, for practicing journalism "under very difficult conditions" and for "holding the line for many months."

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