Fernando Arancón: "What returns power to the media"

Times have changed, our way of accessing information is totally different. We have a different rhythm of life compared to a few years ago, our routines are increasingly busy, thus causing the operation of the media to change, to evolve. The future is in digital media, to which access is more convenient and increasingly popular. We can inform ourselves only of the news that interests us and at any time.

But, not all are advantages, digitization increases the possibility of damaging the veracity of the news. In addition, the fact that these information platforms need to be nurtured economically can end the editorial independence of the medium and misrepresent the information available to everyone.

El Orden Mundial began as a hobby for its creators until today it has been consolidated as a means of reference in international analysis. This platform allows us, through a language suitable for everyone, the possibility of acquiring knowledge about the complex analysis of current world affairs.

Fernando Arancón, has been the director of this consolidated digital medium for eight years. Graduated in International Relations and an enthusiast in geopolitics, he put El Orden Mundial within everyone's reach and thus affect our knowledge about international news.

This past Wednesday we had the pleasure of interviewing him and learning a little more about El Orden Mundial. We talked about the great popularity of the digital medium over which he is in command, about the need to adapt the way we provide information to our routines and to promote interest in what is happening in the world.

Aspirations and goals when promoting this project

Fernando Arancón explained that El Orden Mundial is something that has completely gotten out of hand. He came in 2013 and it was like a hobby while on the run until it became a huge thing due to the huge following and the huge web traffic. This is undoubtedly the turning point towards a leap to professionalism. Despite the fact that Fernando always saw the potential since the emergence coincided with a boom in demand for international issues, he never imagined reaching the point where we are today.

Composition of the team behind this platform

To this day, behind the screens there are three directors who together with a fourth partner are the ones that make up the company. When the blog was born it was a very horizontal hierarchy, each one focused on the areas that best suited their preferences without a very specific or consolidated specialty. Hand in hand with the evolution of the environment, a more organizational form has been acquired.

-Digitalization and its disadvantages.

Digitization has given all users the power to comment, publish, deny... A fact that has developed the great popularity of fake news and the fear of misinformation. This can be considered one of the great problems faced by this type of platform since, as Fernando says: "Errors in the data or plagiarism can lead to a medium to be unreliable".

-How do you fight fake news from El Orden Mundial?

From this medium, they carry out a methodology to contrast and verify the information they publish. The editor or the person who feels that they are more specialized in the field of news checks that the figures and facts are verified and that there are no plagiarisms. Although it is an expensive and time-consuming procedure, this is essential to avoid neglect of functions at the reputational level and to establish itself as a reliable means.

New funds of economic nourish

The way to benefit economically in journalism has evolved, all companies need an economic fund from which to nourish themselves to survive. El Orden Mundial lives on subscriptions as an economic model unlike a few years ago where advertising prevailed. Fernando Arancón: "The scene was changing." In other countries such as the US, this method was already the dominant trend and today in the digital world it is the method that provides both editorial and economic independence. "This is very necessary for a medium due to the enormous political and economic pressures that exist on the media." Not depending on sources of income to nourish yourself means the independence, clarity and purest objectivity of the information. "It is what restores power to the media"

Adapting to changes in the way we consum information: podcast

After the global pandemic, the Trump presidency or Brexit, there are more and more international news that affect our day to day. For this reason, the future of El Orden Mundial as a representative medium is seen with a very consolidated projection. It is necessary to become aware of the need to end the disinterest in what is happening around us for this reason, this digital medium has not only articles, maps and infographics but also Podcast. These complement other activities in our routines, thereby informing us without the need to give up carrying out other tasks and, as it is a more enjoyable form of information, it allows us to reach a wider audience.

The necessity of ending up with disinterest of international actuality

To end the interview, Fernando told me about the recent publication of the book "El mundo no es lo que parece." This initiative has been carried out in the informative line of training people. As the subject they deal with in this digital medium, that is, international events, have never had much media presence, there is very poor knowledge. Therefore, this book is intended to disprove the recurring myths that influence our way of thinking and acting since this misinformation generates states of opinion and modifies reality. Fernando Arancón: "Modifying begins by deriving".