The ill-timed announcement of the 'government for all'

Thursday night part of the Newscast It was broadcast live from Florejacs, due to the severity of the fire that had affected the Segarra region. Toni Cruanyes was there wearing shirtsleeves due to the torrid temperatures affecting the area. More than six thousand hectares burned and a day of mourning throughout Catalonia for the two farmers killed in Agramunt. They illustrated the virulence of a record-breaking pyrocumulus cloud. Fourteen thousand meters of heat projected into the sky. Another fire in Lleida had also forced the closure of high-speed trains. A hellish and tragic panorama at the same time, in which we saw rural dwellers weeping and people explaining the fear they had felt. And during the commercial break, quite untimely, an advertisement for the Generalitat (Catalan government), "the government of all," appeared promoting the work of firefighters. Of course, firefighters are in no way to blame for these serious fires. The problem isn't the work of these professionals but the tone of the advertisement, which was ill-suited to the day we were experiencing.

Quim Masferrer expressed his admiration for a firefighter for the difficulties involved in putting out a fire. The expert reminded him that each fire is unique and that it is necessary to analyze it carefully to predict its evolution. "How do you do that?" Masferrer asked. And the firefighter replied: "Experience, technology, and a team that anticipates the fire and analyzes and predicts possible impacts on the population." And then the presenter, with that characteristic tone of the final sentence ofThe stranger, made the final statement: "I hope the Generalitat firefighters don't have to work so much. I hope they have very little work this summer!"

The work of the Generalitat firefighters is commendable and they are one of the most prestigious bodies in the State. But it was not the day to schedule that campaign.

Just when the firefighters are fighting the flames in extreme situations and there have been deaths due to the fire, the institutional message seems oblivious to the urgency of the moment. The announcement in the middle of the break of the Newscast conveyed an inappropriately optimistic and out-of-context tone. It's all very well praising the work of firefighters, raising awareness of the difficulties, and acknowledging the risks of their profession, but doing so during the hours when the tragedy is unfolding live can unwittingly appear to be instrumentalizing the emergency. In the midst of the emotional impact of the disaster, an advertisement appears in a relaxed and informative tone that conveys a sense of control and effectiveness that doesn't fit the crisis being experienced at that time. It's cynical to hear Masferrer tell the firefighter, "I hope you have very little work," when you've just witnessed a situation of professional overwhelm. In institutional communication, timing is important. And sending a message at an inappropriate time has the opposite effect on the audience. The viewer feels that this government for all that which is finally announced is not for everyone, because it does not go together and seems insensitive to the reality of the moment.