Information and opinion on teaching and a note on the editorial line

Subscriber Carles Ferrer Casas, a secondary school teacher at the Joaquim Mir Institute in Vilanova i la Geltrú, wrote me a very well-reasoned letter, with many points on the agenda, which I hasten to acknowledge for its value. He begins by noting that few are published letters from readersAnd this is detrimental to some of my own opinions, in which, as a teacher, I would say my own regarding the problems of teaching, which is the crux of the email you sent me, but with exquisite fair play, He doesn't complain.

The question – summary– The newspaper published a full-page opinion piece, "The taboo of public schools: choosing teachers" (23/01/26), with a front-page mention, signed by two representatives of the Clam Educatiu organization. The reader highlights the contrast between the ARA giving this organization such prominence and, conversely, the demonstration called by the unions being only covered (25/01/26) by "a mere secondary note, little more than thirty words."

Crossing the lines between the two journalistic situations, the Opinion and Society sections, Carles Ferrer poses very direct and interrelated questions: what is the criterion for publishing an opinion piece; whether the criterion is based on the quality of the writing and, consequently, "I can't get involved because it's a subjective criterion"; and, finally, whether it's a matter of editorial line: "This would worry me more. Among other things, because the central thesis of my colleagues' article (I imagine they are teachers, like me) is to support what the Catalan Education Law (LEC) says about the ability of school management teams to choose teachers and staff," which he understands "to be the majority opinion of teachers [...] because they consider it an excuse to privatize management and turn professional merit into an arbitrary merit on the part of school administrations."

Reader Ferrer concludes that Clam Educatiu "has no democratic representation whatsoever," while the unions do. "How is it possible that the newspaper ARA gives a privileged platform to an entirely private, and certainly very respectable, opinion... but absolutely particular, private, and exclusive to a platform whose experience I don't see why should be assumed, while the unions are not invited to express their arguments on equal terms?"

The head of the Society section, Gemma Garrido, explains that: "On the date indicated by the reader, the news coverage was at its peak regarding the commuter rail service." –The country was paralyzed by the various railway incidents that we all know about.–, And also because of snowfall in several parts of the country that threatened to further complicate travel. It is for this reason, and also because the teachers' demonstration did not reach the initially anticipated turnout, that we have dedicated a brief section to the online edition and a short feature to the print edition.

However, from the Society section we want to emphasize that Education is a core portfolio –We have a writer who specializes in this area– and that the demands of teachers are being closely monitored, both those articulated through unions and those defended by other entities and/or groups (including teachers acting individually), and as for the coverage of the latest meetings, demonstrations and strikes, the monitoring has been continuous." And it includes ten articles discussing the last thirty.

The central issue raised by the subscriber, beyond the specifics, is the definition of the newspaper's editorial line, a crucial matter that, nevertheless, we rarely discuss. In all newspapers, it is the editorials that represent this line. Since they always refer to a current event published that same day, this editorial line is not singular, but rather derives from specific issues and, consequently, fortunately, this line is more expansive than abstract, becoming a celebration of diversity, a plurality that reflects the society that defines it, adapting to changing contexts and remaining relevant at every moment, in a way reminiscent of 1889. This plurality is clearly evident in the Opinion section. Its editor, Toni Güell, explains this in relation to subscriber Ferrer's email:

"The opinions and pronouncements of the entities with the greatest democratic representation, whether unions, employers' associations, political parties, or other organizations, are, precisely because of their representative value, constantly followed in news sections such as Society or Politics. This could make their presence in newspaper opinion pages merely repetitive. Therefore, the opinion of these organizations, but also the publication of opinion pieces, strives to dedicate most of its opinion space to opening up the major debates of the moment to other figures who, from their knowledge, experience, authority, or strong argumentation skills, present a clear and reasonable thesis that advances the debate and allows the newspaper's readership to engage with the different points of view surrounding the same issue." And he concludes:

"In this sense, Clam Educatiu –an association of about 350 members, teachers and staff from the education sector– has done so, as have other voices in the sector –collective and also individual–"He has made solid contributions to different aspects of the educational debate in various forums and media outlets, and maintains positions that are quite distinct from or complementary to those of other actors. The decision to publish his article, therefore, reflected the Opinion section's ongoing intention to contribute to building a pluralistic public conversation, as has been the intention when the newspaper has published articles and columns by dozens of professors, teachers, educators, and university rectors over the years."

Cochineal, Rosemary Kennedy and the Vallesos

Subscriber Jordi Riera, a biologist and specialist in sausage production, has written to send me some clarifications regarding colorings. This is a topic that Trinitat Gilbert addressed in... We eat on Sunday, February 1st, with a headline and a subheading I don't know if they made food, but they certainly made themselves readable: "A crushed insect is what gives red color to sweet ham (and also to lipstick). It is called cochineal, and in the labeling the name takes other expressions, such as E-120, carminic acid or carmine."

Jordi Riera explains that cochineal dye is permitted, and that "cochineal farming is of great economic importance in the Canary Islands." There are, however, some exceptions, such as extra-cooked ham, which is the best-selling product.

Since the reader raised several technical points, he indicated his willingness to share them with the editor, so I passed them on to her. They discussed the matter, reached an understanding, and Trinitat Gilbert told me she would be a valuable source. In this case, the Reader's Advocate's role, rather than bringing a topic up for debate—which, strictly speaking, it wouldn't really be—has been to facilitate a connection that could potentially enrich the journalist's work.

The conclusion I draw from all this is that, although the cochineal is a parasitic homopteran that looks very bad when you see it on trees, and has disgusting connotations derived from its name, it has functions that are benign; that the consumption of insects will provide many benefits; and that the price of sausages is an index of naturalness.

I'm noting two other emails, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to deal with them. in full for now.

Reader Beatriz Marco draws our attention to the article of January 4th, which stated: Rosemary Kennedy, "born in 1918 with mental problems and who underwent a failed lobotomy in 1941." According to the reader, the mental problems were caused by the operation, induced by her father, which went wrong, "so the misfortune is not Rose's behavior or that of her family." mental problems but rather the actions of his father, which were abominable."

Reader Pere Guarch complains about our use of the plural "Vallesos," both in an article and in the February 11th editorial: "We don't talk about the Empordans, or the Pallarsos, or the Penedesos, do we?" And he drives the point home: "Place names don't have a plural." "Simply awful," "a lack of linguistic sense, which is being replaced by a false functionality that mistreats the language." Certainly, the plural of Vallès is a colloquial, non-standard expression, but one that we should be able to use in a newspaper... It's another matter entirely if, for example, we use the colloquial form in the article and the standard form in the editorial, to end this page with the issue that headed it. Da capo.

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