For a while now, fake news stories have been circulating even faster than real news. We have spent the last couple of days wrapped up in such a story, with a title that grabs the attention of Spanish unionists and others who want to block the independence movement in any way they can: "The Luther King Institute in the USA asks Torra to stop making use of his figure," was the grand headline in El Confidencial, the newspaper that had interviewed the institute director, Clayborne Carson. At the speed of light, most newspapers in Madrid and some in Barcelona decided without any justification that the story was valid, giving it prime space in both digital and physical editions. Many unionist political leaders also picked up the media thread enthusiastically. But the bubble burst a few hours later when the director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute categorically denied the truth of the headline along with several other key statements in the story that were attributed to him.
The manipulation made of his words has been scandalous. This is clear from a simple reading of the denial the director issued, which those who published the interview have found highly irritating. The newspaper, in response, has made public several voice clips from the interview, but the most controversial parts, including the source of the headline, are absent from the clips posted online. However, in some ways, it's all the same: the denial will never occupy as much space and time in the media as the original fake story. Moreover, the unionist leaders who propagated the falsified news, a real legion of politicians and opinion leaders, have maintained a long silence since Professor Carson's denial. Why tell the truth, Borrell, Arrimadas, et al? Why even read that Carson was "shocked and disturbed" when he discovered that "he had been misquoted", having had the following words put into his mouth: "that Martin Luther King, Jr. would have opposed the Catalan independence movement"? Or when the US academic declared later in his statement that he is "disturbed whenever nonviolent protesters and leaders are violently suppressed or punished by police and government officials".
One could continue but it isn't necessary. It is already clear enough and the most decent thing to do would be to recognize it immediately. We're all used to the way that in this age in which we live, truth is often not regarded as the most important aspect. Our politicians can be the worst offenders in this, and one only needs to look at the last week's arguments about "doctorate students" and "masters", the latest battle fought in Spanish politics, to see the quagmire which they are stuck in and which they just can't manage to extricate themselves from. We are passing through the one-year anniversary of the great political lie which was used to dispatch the Puigdemont-Junqueras government of Catalonia into exile and to prison - for a rebellion that never happened and a misuse of funds that didn't take place either.
It was the culmination of the Spanish state's recklessness, maybe the only democratic state which took a decision to dispense with politics and instead allow judges to run the country. A democratic combat was converted firstly into a dirty war against the independence movement and afterwards into a "let's go get 'em" attitude, with the blessing of those in power. And that is where we are. Without any acceptance by the Spanish political establishment of the right of Catalans to hold a referendum. And with communications media who are very often performing tasks that are not their job.