In an event that combines her journalistic training with her role as a representative of the Crown, Queen Letizia presided over the closing ceremony of the XVII International Seminar on Language and Journalism.
This meeting, organized by FundéuRAE and the San Millán de la Cogolla Foundation, was held at the emblematic Monastery of Yuso, in La Rioja.
This year, the seminar focused on a topic as current as it is controversial: The language of wars: how to tell the story of conflict.
Queen Letizia’s reflections on war language
The queen, always attentive to detail, did not hesitate to engage in a dialogue with leading figures in journalism, a reference in the coverage of war conflicts.
Through her questions, Letizia showed her concern for the precariousness faced by many correspondents, especially those who work as freelancers without institutional support.
She also pointed out the lack of attention to forgotten conflicts: “If there were people telling what is happening in northern Ethiopia, do you think it would help? Does Spanish society need to know?”.
This concern is not new to the queen. She recalled that in previous editions her questions generated debates, as when she questioned about degrowth and bioeconomists. However, she emphasized that her intention has always been reflective: “I just ask questions.”
War language in other areas
Another of the topics he addressed was the use of war metaphors in the context of diseases such as cancer. In sharing his perspective, he reflected on the impact of words like “fight” or “battle” on those facing serious diagnoses:
“As a person with a certain media exposure, when I talk about cancer and other very serious diseases, I always avoid words like fight, conquer, battle, because if the person with a cancer diagnosis also has to feel compelled to battle against something, when what they have to do is go through a process…”.
The queen extended this analysis to sports journalism, where warlike terms are often used to describe competitions.
The queen asked whether a chronicle without these metaphors might be less involving for the reader, showing her interest in how language impacts emotions.
For this occasion, Letizia wore a gray suit from the Mango brand, a clear tribute to the founder of the firm, Isak Andic, who passed away recently.