Salou, a town in Tarragona, officially opened its new municipal press room on Monday, 4 May 2026. The completely remodelled space will now function as a multi-purpose room for public use.
The inauguration coincided with World Press Freedom Day, observed the previous Sunday, 3 May. A panel discussion on the impact and evolution of fake news formed the centrepiece of the event, filling the room to capacity.
Salou's mayor, Pere Granados, opened the session, highlighting the symbolic nature of the occasion. “We are opening a functional, open space, designed to host conferences, debates, and activities that promote critical thinking and knowledge,” Granados said. He thanked the audience and speakers, stressing the importance of discussing disinformation, which he called “a current issue of collective interest.”
Expert Panel Discusses Disinformation
Javier Díaz, a journalist from the EFE Agency and co-editor of the digital newspaper La Vila, moderated the round table. The panel included respected voices from journalism and the judiciary: Diego Álvarez de Juan, the dean judge of Reus; Marc Just, general director of Diari Més; Norián Muñoz, a journalist from Diari de Tarragona; and Carlos E. Bayo, an investigative journalist and writer.
The debate showed that fake news is not a new phenomenon, but it has been amplified by the digital environment. Norián Muñoz noted that “fake news has always existed,” but warned that “social media has represented a qualitative leap.” She gave specific examples of disinformation that did not become news due to a lack of verification.
Carlos E. Bayo, with over five decades of professional experience, placed fake news in a historical context. He stated that “they are older than demagoguery” and reflected on the role of propaganda and the transformation of the media system in the digital and artificial intelligence era.
Media's Role and Shared Responsibility
Marc Just spoke about the difference between past and present disinformation, marked by immediacy and virality. He argued that citizens “have more discernment and education than before,” but warned that “all users are victims of fake news.” Just focused on how information reaches the public and the role of algorithms in its spread.
From a judicial perspective, Judge Diego Álvarez pointed to shared responsibility between the sender and receiver. “Citizens often assume that what is published is true. There is a principle of legitimacy that makes us trust information,” he explained. He called for greater judicial education and a more critical society, capable of “not only applauding what it wants to hear.”
Social Networks, Verification, and AI
One central point of the debate was the impact of social networks and artificial intelligence. The panellists agreed that rapid information flow and a lack of verification can create extreme situations. The rise of AI, they said, raises new questions about the truthfulness of sources and content manipulation.
Norián Muñoz highlighted the increase in verification platforms and the need to ask “who is behind each piece of information and with what interest.” Marc Just questioned “who feeds AI with information” and to what extent it can become a reliable source.
The event also reinforced the participatory nature of the new space. The audience could ask questions directly to the speakers, creating a lively and enriching exchange that broadened the discussion beyond the panel.
The inauguration of the new Press Room starts a Cycle of Conferences promoted by Salou City Council. This initiative aims to create open spaces for reflection for citizens. The debate on fake news showed the complexity of disinformation and the need to address it from multiple perspectives: journalistic, judicial, social, and technological.
Councillors from Salou City Council, the director of Territorial Justice Services of Catalonia, police representatives, the president of the Spanish Observatory of Human Rights, and various representatives and leaders of local associations attended the session.
