On Sunday night, one minute after 12, Jordi Grau interrupted the broadcast of the Goal by goal to hurriedly connect with 3Cat Info and make way for an appearance by the Regional Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Núria Parlon. "Three cat cat info... Three cat dot info..." Grau hesitated when announcing the transition, highlighting the difficulties the network's professionals were having in familiarizing themselves with the new brand.
Parlon was already addressing the media. Behind her, a serious Josep Lluís Trapero stood. The regional minister was making a statement about the effects of the severe storms in Catalonia that had caused a disaster in Sant Quintí de Mediona, where a minor had died and his father was missing. She also explained the government's criteria for issuing alerts to the public. Once her intervention was over, 3Cat Info presenter Anna Barreda returned to the Goal by goal. And Jordi Grau immediately connected to the Johan Cruyff stadium to get more reactions on the Barça match.
At a time when public television is supposed to be proud of its news services and, theoretically, demonstrate the strength of this new 3Cat Info beyond a simple aesthetic renovation, the programming criteria and prioritization of information are more than questionable.
After the Newscast and The weather, TV3 aired an episode of the series The Steeltown MurdersAlthough it was not announced as such in the television programming provided to the media, they then broadcast the Goal by goal Despite the torrential rains in Catalonia, the rescue of around thirty people in Montserrat, and the tragedy in Sant Quintí de Mediona. Especially considering that the anarchic Esport3 was broadcasting a replay of the afternoon's Catalan League final between Baxi Manresa and Joventut de Badalona.
It's obvious that there's a lack of judgment regarding television protocols and criteria: it's necessary to establish coherence in the management of the different channels and their synergies. But, above all, there's a clear lack of public service prioritization and the ability to respond to information. We already confirmed this this summer with the fires (which they tried to compensate for with media saturation the next day when it was already too late), and it's happening again now with the consequences of the downpours. It's as if service news and emergency news always have to fight with the desire for audience figures, as if current affairs only have to earn their place once a catastrophe is guaranteed. The hurried connection with the Minister of the Interior in the middle of a Goal by goal It proves it. A gesture to keep it quiet, rather than a real, coherent, informative sensitivity that reflects the current events of that night.
