To create a regular space at discussion where communication experts and professionals can meet to identify the needs, changes and trends that lie ahead in this sector. With this in mind, goal held the first edition of the Forum Comunicando Futuro- Alejandro Echevarría, which brought together important figures in communication and journalism in Spain at the campus of the University of Navarra in Madrid: Xabier Uribe-Echevarría, CEO of Sherpa.ai; Ramón Salaverría, Full Professor in Journalism of the School of Communication of the University of Navarra and director of the Center for Internet Studies and Digital Life; Juan Luis Cebrián, businessman of reference in the media sector; Fernando de Yarza, publisher; and Ignacio Escolar, director of Eldiario.es, in an event conducted by journalist Ana Blanco. 

The event was presided over by the president of the Foundation, Alejandro Echevarría, Charo Sádaba, dean of School of Communication at the University of Navarra, and Juan Carlos Escotet Rodríguez, president of ABANCA.

The forum's goal is based on the foundation's motto: "A well-informed society is a better society". This first meeting, which is intended to be an annual quotation , has brought together more than a hundred personalities from the country's information, institutional, economic, business and social spheres.

An event dedicated to the communication sector

The different speakers at workshop agreed on the importance of combating fake news and providing reliable and quality content to the audience. Xabier Uribe-Echevarría, CEO of Sherpa.ai, explained how to apply artificial intelligence to combat fake news. 

Ramón Salaverría, for his part, has addressed the topic from the academy and the research, explaining the conclusions of the study on the journalism sector in Spain prepared by Iberifier, the disinformation observatory of Spain and Portugal. The expert, interviewed by journalist Ana Blanco, also outlined the future of the journalism profession: new professional profiles, changes in their routines work, new technological implementations and the challenges facing the sector.

Finally, Juan Luis Cebrián, Fernando Yarza and Ignacio Escolar discussed several issues related to the challenges of the journalism sector in Spain, the new emerging models that are succeeding and why, the digital business versus traditional business or payment platforms, among others. 

Alejandro Echevarría emphasized: "the bet is to bring back to the fore debates that matter, that make people think and in which the figure of journalism of yesteryear is vindicated, where ethical and moral values, journalistic rigor, honesty, impartiality... are once again important, to somehow guide, present references and focus on where the future of communication should be centered, which is no more than in its origins". 

Charo Sádaba, for her part, underlined the common objectives that School shares with the forum. On the one hand, information as an engine for the improvement of society: "We are convinced that the communication professions are in charge of the fulfillment of a citizen's right that is vital for the health of democracies and, therefore, of societies". Likewise, the second goal is based on the training of professionals in the sector: "At School we promote Master's Degree programs such as the Master's Degree in management of Communication Companies that is taught at campus in Madrid, which aims to train people who have or will have managerial skills in the communication sector. This Master's Degree is born from the conviction that the communication sector has some peculiarities that require managers with specific knowledge, skills and abilities". 

Juan Carlos Escotet Rodríguez, Chairman of ABANCA, expressed his appreciation for the launching of the Forum Comunicando Futuro and its objectives because they do not only affect communicators "but anyone who aspires to a life of dialogue and coexistence, who defends the right to be duly informed, and who does not forget that the strengthening of democracy is inseparable from the free exercise of journalism and free access to information".

About the Comunicando Futuro-Alejandro Echevarría Foundation

The Fundación Comunicando Futuro - Alejandro Echevarría, led by Alejandro Echevarría Busquet, is an independent and professional non-profit platform whose driving principle is its motto: "A well-informed society is a better society", through reliable, sustainable communication adapted to current and future changes. 

It aims to become a platform for networking and trends through its training program for communication professionals with a long career and emerging professionals; annual events such as the Forums of Analysis and discussion of the sector; or its annual awards, which recognize communication professionals. In fact, the second edition of these awards will be held on February 22 in Bilbao and will recognize communication professionals in the categories of: recognition of professional career; business transparency and young emerging values.