The show of the panelists who insult each other

The approaches to entertainment and infoshow are getting out of hand on La 1. On Wednesday, a new grotesque episode unfitting of public television took place. This time it was on the program Morning 360, a current affairs magazine hosted by Javier Ruiz and Adela González. The program exploits the most sordid events in Spain. The vast majority of stories take advantage of people's misery. There is no social perspective, which would be expected. The key is in the drama. And in making political issues tense.

At the time of the panel discussion, the contributors discussed the internal crisis of the PSOE and the confrontations with the PP. The tone had a disturbing level of tension, because rather than encouraging analysis and reflection, the panelists maintained a discussion that was as concealed as it was exaggeratedly partisan, favoring one side or the other. It seemed as if something personal was at stake in the controversy. One of them, journalist Chapu Apaolaza, agreed with the mayor of Madrid, exclaiming: "I feel like an idiot in this country! Mr. Almeida. I feel like an idiot. In everything that concerns me, you're absolutely right!". He was referring to the mayor's words stating that the socialist government"he takes us for fools". Shortly after, another commentator reproached Apaolaza for not understanding why he was saying no to the government tripling public investment in housing and taking on 60% of the cost. And journalist Marta Nebot, ruminating and without having the floor, clarified: "It's because he feels the way he says.". Apaolaza became upset: "What are you calling me?". And the other: "You said it yourself". The commentator could not believe what he had heard: "Are you calling me an asshole?". "No. You call it yourself.", the collaborator responded. On the other hand, the other panelist was doing his thing, giving the speech. The discussion was taking place simultaneously. "But if you're calling me an asshole...". Apaolaza closed his laptop, gathered his papers, removed his microphone, and stood up from the table. He crossed the set to leave."A set where they insult me like this, I have to leave.". The most scandalous thing is that the production followed the indignant panelist through the set, in the style of Save me. When the presenter got the camera's attention he said: "This is the temple of the word and this is the temple of respect"And he attributed responsibility for what had just happened on his program to the words of the mayor of Madrid: "This is how the debate is heating up with expressions like that, like the one of 'they are taking us for idiots' that Almeida said and like a Popular Party that is raising the temperature". No. The moderator and the director are responsible for what happens on a television panel discussion. And their program isn't the temple of anything. But it does reveal that there are presenters who understand their role on television as a sacred altar from which they preach. This is the problem.