FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 96 - ENGLISH

EDUCATION AND COEXISTENCE 21 Another issue addressed was the conti- nuing existence of hundreds of unsolved terrorist crimes, a reality that still causes suffering and a sense of impunity among many families. Heredero also drew attention to public tributes to former ETA members and questioned the absence of specific pe- nalties for certain expressions glorifying terrorism. His address ended with a reflection shared by many participants: a sys- tem may have strong instruments for financial protection yet retain serious ethical and democratic shortcomings if it does not fully guarantee equality for all victims. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM The relationship between terrorism and the media was the subject of a particu- larly engaging panel bringing together journalists Pedro Piqueras, José María Irujo and Ángel Expósito . Far from being complacent, the debate was marked by self-criticism and profes- sional reflection. Piqueras recalled some of the most diffi- cult moments of his journalistic career, including the broadcast of images of the attack on Irene Villa. Those scenes, he explained, helped show society the true human dimension of terrorist violence. José María Irujo acknowledged that, for decades, much media coverage focused excessively on terrorists and paid less at- tention to victims. In his view, journalism now has a responsibility to prevent the memory of what happened from fading and to resist every attempt to whitewash the past. Ángel Expósito broadened the focus to the international scene, warning that Europe’s main strategic frontier now lies in the Sahel–Mediterranean corridor. He also warned of terrorism being used as a tool in hybrid warfare strategies pursued by various international actors. All three agreed that the fight against terrorism is also fought in the infor- mation sphere, beyond policing. In an era shaped by disinformation, polarised discourse and digital immediacy, jour- nalism must act as a rigorous filter, ve- rifying, contextualising and explaining reality without fuelling fear or resorting to sensationalism. Accurate reporting, they maintained, is an essential means of delegitimising violence and strengthening democratic culture. HAMAS AND THE BATTLE OVER THE NARRATIVE The second day opened with one of the programme’s most intense sessions. In connection with remembrance of the attacks perpetrated by Hamas on 7 Oc- tober 2023, Professor Rogelio Alonso of Rey Juan Carlos University examined the use of communication as a strategic instrument of terrorism. His address considered the propaganda dimension of those attacks and how cer- tain organisations use images and narra- ` Left to right: journalists Pedro Piqueras, José María Araujo and Ángel Expósito ` Professor Rogelio Alonso ` Former MEP and victim of terrorism Maite Pagazaurtundua