As part of the Journalism degree curriculum, these students, soon to complete their academic journey at the University, have taken the initiative to create a political communication podcast. “We want to bring politics closer to young people and offer an entertaining space – not overly sensationalist – where listeners can find out what happens once the microphones are turned off,” explained Hugo Montiel, one of the team behind Detrás del Hemiciclo.
The podcast’s first guest was former president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Artur Mas, who agreed to share his experience at the forefront of Catalan politics with the UIC Barcelona students. “It was our first interview with someone that important. We were nervous, and honestly surprised that he accepted,” admitted Jana Vera, the producer of the final-year project. “He told us that some decisions were negotiated over coffee in the Parliament, outside the chamber itself, and that indeed, much happens behind the scenes,” she added.
The project supervisor, journalist and UIC Barcelona lecturer Francesc Cano, highlighted the educational value of such initiatives: “What’s most valuable is the effort involved in the production. How do you even go about picking up the phone and convincing the former President of the Generalitat to take part?” he noted. Cano also pointed out the importance of being flexible in journalism: “Students must be prepared for the unexpected – a last-minute change in the script can end up improving the content beyond what you originally planned.”
As part of this interview series, the students also organised a round-table discussion with three leading figures in Catalan political communication: Oriol Duran, UIC Barcelona alumnus and former secretary for media and publicity under president Pere Aragonès; Aurora Masip, former government spokesperson during José Montilla’s presidency; and Jaume Clotet, director of communications under presidents Carles Puigdemont and Quim Torra.
The three professionals shared personal experiences of working closely with high-level political leaders. “Nowadays, if you don’t communicate something yourself, someone else will, and it probably won’t be in your favour,” said Jaume Clotet, who had to handle major communication crises such as the 17 August 2017 terrorist attack on Las Ramblas in Barcelona and the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “How do you prevent a coalition partner from revealing the part of the story you don’t want told? Often, the most worrying aspect is what you can’t control, more than what you’ve planned,” added Oriol Duran.
Aurora Masip reflected on the internal debate she has often faced when working as a journalist within government institutions. “I do believe we still act as journalists and communicators, even if we’re not working for a media outlet,” she observed. “If there’s an investigation within your organisation, you end up working like a journalist, trying to uncover the truth,” she added.
The guests also discussed the role of social media in today’s political communication, and the messaging behind the slogans used in political campaigns.
