A critical reflection on the cultural battle

The students of the IV edition of the Expert Degree in Leadership and Civic Engagement of CEFAS have shared a lunch-colloquium with the director and co-founder of Ediciones Monóculo and columnist in Vozpópuli and Alfa y Omega, Julio Llorente. During the meeting, the guest was able to share with the young people his vision of “the cultural battle” and his knowledge of the situation of the publishing world and the media in Spain.

About the concept of battle culture

The young editor began his speech by addressing the concept of “cultural battle” which, as he explained, creates an atmosphere of discord that does not facilitate dialogue, and defended the idea that the cultural battle erodes the concept of “us” as Spaniards. In this sense, Llorente defended the need for a “we” to exist in order to live in community: “How can we create a “we” if we have turned public space into a battlefield?

The guest explained that those who defend the cultural battle think they have the absolute truth against the enemy, which for them is error. Llorente encouraged to avoid thinking like this and defended that those who believe differently also have something to teach. He also encouraged students not to turn the culture war into an end, but rather into the result of living a “good life” based on their ideas and principles.

Media and the publishing world

In relation to the current situation of the media in Spain, Llorente assured that newspapers have not been able to adapt to the new platforms, causing a loss of economic profitability. This has led to a press that is “dependent on political power” and has lost the trust of its readers.

The young editor also shared his experience in the publishing world and said that Monóculo seeks to continue publishing on paper so as not to lose the link that the physical book establishes between the author and the reader.