On Tuesday afternoon, the Everything is a lieRisto Mejide's magazine program, broadcast live with Vox spokesperson Rocío de Meer. Hours earlier, she had made statements in which she proposed expelling eight million illegal immigrants from Spain who disrespect "customs and practices." of the country. "Tell us: how many immigrants do you intend to deport?", Mejide asked her right after she started. The spokesperson assured that the headline that had spread through all the media was false and included the Everything is a lie in that supposed error. "We will send them a certified letter asking them to rectify their position, because we haven't said that eight million people need to be deported." He insisted that it was "absolutely false." As is typical of the far-right's media conduct, he was causing confusion around his speech and distorting the statements, taking advantage of the opportunity to unleash another long xenophobic message. Mejide now had the breeding ground he wanted to get his dose of prominence and arrogance. He cut her off, and since Rocío de Meer wouldn't shut up, they both began speaking simultaneously. "Mrs. de Meer, with all due respect, if you came here to give a Vox rally, you've chosen the wrong program.". The spokesperson continued with her speech, challenging the presenter. "We've given him the opportunity to qualify his words," as if he'd been invited as a favor. Of all the journalistic theories on how to treat the far right in the media, this is the most damaging, because it helps to further their message. The far right doesn't need to be given opportunities to qualify because, no matter how many nuances they add, their ideas don't change. Entering into conflict with the media is part of these groups' communication strategies. They use controversy and bitter combat to gain impact and strengthen their arguments: selling themselves as supposedly democratic parties that suffer censorship and misunderstanding from journalists. The argument between Mejide and De Meer dragged on, and the presenter ended up doing what Vox likes best: a spectacle of tension that goes viral. Mejide, transformed into a caricature of himself, declared: "If you came here to threaten us and give us that speech, now I'm the one who's going to kick you off this program!" controversies and enter into a debate about its nuances. Everything is a lieThe populism of both sides fueled the news of the deportation of eight million people. This reckless reporting aims to teach lessons and ends up amplifying and normalizing far-right ideas by inviting them to qualify things that don't need qualifying.
