Magnum's Cristina de Middel, Princess of Asturias Award winner laments demise of photojournalism

euronews (in English)

In this special edition of European Lens we talk to Spanish visual storyteller and artist Cristina de Middel who presides over the Magnum Photo Agency, the legendary collective set up in 1947 after the Second World War.

Transcript

00:00The Magnum agency has been recognized with the Princess of Asturias Award at Concordia 2024.

00:19The jury has highlighted the social work that is done from the agency through photography.

00:25Today we are attended by its president, Cristina de Midell.

00:28Good afternoon, thank you for welcoming us.

00:30Thank you very much, it's a pleasure to be with you.

00:32For welcoming us in a hurry, because it comes from one event and then you have to go to another.

00:36How is it in Oviedo and how do you receive this award?

00:39It's been very nice, the affection of the whole organization of the Princess of Asturias Foundation

00:44and also of the people of Oviedo, who go down the street and smile at you and greet you.

00:50Have they stopped you? Have they said something to you?

00:52Well, they tell me congratulations for the award, that they are very proud and it is also exciting to see it.

00:58How beautiful.

00:59Cristina, in particular, the award is given to Concordia, that social work of the agency,

01:04which seems to have been recognized in that beautiful aspect, to promote a better world.

01:11Choosing the award at Concordia for Magnum draws attention,

01:15and it is a point, a call of attention to everyone, to how important it is today

01:21and how important it is becoming to have a kind of confidence in the images.

01:27We are a bit like the anchor within a society that is increasingly visual.

01:31That the image is reliable is fundamental, something fundamental has been done.

01:37The founders of the Magnum agency are considered the parents of photojournalism,

01:43which has also been highlighted by the jury.

01:45What is photojournalism then, if it was born in your agency, in which you preside now?

01:50Sadly, a profession in danger of extinction, because of everything we are talking about.

01:57There are fewer and fewer means, there is less and less money to make stories

02:03and tell stories with the depth they deserve.

02:06The curious thing is that the world becomes something much more difficult to explain

02:09and at the same time there are far fewer means to explain it properly.

02:13For example, these weeks there have already been several alternative versions

02:19generated by artificial intelligence of the crisis of the Balseros in Cuba

02:23or of the very disembarkation of Normandy,

02:26because there is all this legend that Capa got his wheels damaged

02:30and there is only a very limited number of shots.

02:33Well, there is an artist, a man who has dedicated himself to completing that.

02:38In Euronews, as a news media,

02:41we have witnessed this increase of misinformation.

02:44We have launched a program, Euroverify, to verify the bullets that are currently there.

02:49But this also, as you are explaining, affects the image

02:52through deepfake, through modification with artificial intelligence.

02:57This generates a really worrying scenario for the photographic sector.

03:01Yes, it is worrying, but it is worrying for the photographic sector at the business level

03:06because, logically, anyone with 15 years and a computer

03:10can create the work of years or decades of research.

03:16But I think it is more worrying for the audience.

03:19We are going to have to adapt, just as we have adapted

03:22when from black and white to colour,

03:25when from analog to digital,

03:28when from print to website.

03:31So we will adapt and there will be less or there will be more, we do not know.

03:35But where the real danger is, is in the audience.

03:37Those who have to adapt are the audience.

03:40A career in which you have seen this transformation,

03:43before you told us from black and white to colour, from colour to digital,

03:48and now you see yourself surrounded by photographic cameras

03:52because each one of us has one on the mobile phone,

03:55and many times it is the citizens themselves who immortalize historical events.

03:59Yes, the fact that everything, and this is my personal vision,

04:02and surely there are colleagues who do not agree at all,

04:05but they are asking me.

04:06Of course, it is what interests us.

04:09For me, the fact that everyone is taking pictures is good.

04:13It is good news, everyone speaks photography,

04:16everyone communicates with images.

04:18How can we complain about that?

04:20The only thing is that just as everyone knows how to write,

04:23it does not mean that everyone is a literary author.

04:27There are also those who consider this edition of the awards,

04:30in a way, something feminist.

04:33There is Carolina Marín, the princess herself,

04:36for the first time she is going to close the gala with her speech.

04:39Is it difficult in photography for women like you

04:42to get to the position you are in?

04:45Well, I think that, in general,

04:48we have some things that are more difficult.

04:51I think that things are changing, even from Magnus.

04:56I am president of an agency that has less than 10%

05:00of women's representation.

05:02Trying to change it, I am not the only one,

05:05but it is a slow process.

05:07I think that, deep down, the trend is good,

05:10the only thing is that it goes very slowly everywhere.

05:12But I also, at the level of strategy,

05:15and I don't know if it is what has helped me to get where I am,

05:18is not to ignore it, but not to include it in my equation.

05:23That is there, that is my context.

05:25And within this context, I will get as far as I can.

05:28If I include it in my equation, you start to victimize yourself,

05:31you start to have to justify yourself,

05:33and I prefer not to.

05:35This is how it is, well, let's move on.

05:37Of course, with that context, you have to work,

05:39you have to keep making progress.

05:41And in your case, that path has led you to get

05:44some of the most important awards in the world,

05:46the National Photography Award, the Princess of Asturias.

05:49When I see all that baggage, also being so young,

05:52because they are awards...

05:53Well, I am almost 50.

05:55Well, but there are people who get those awards

05:58at the end of their career, right?

06:00People who have gotten them perhaps soon.

06:02How do you interpret it?

06:04How do you feel when you see that path?

06:06Well, the truth is, now it is impossible not to do,

06:09for example, this week, look back and say,

06:12well, my mother is also here,

06:14and it is like, my mother is very excited.

06:16And of course, I try to control the emotions

06:19and move forward, which is what we were talking about before.

06:22Well, yes, it is very exciting and you have to look back

06:24and be proud.

06:26I haven't had much support.

06:29And it is always like, are you crazy?

06:31Well, it is the same.

06:33Madness should be fed more, I don't know.

06:36You have to be a little brave.

06:38Madness, sometimes, as Machado said,

06:40madness is the sensible thing, sometimes.

06:42Many times, yes, but also,

06:44I mean, I don't want to make an allegation here

06:46in favor of, let's all go crazy.

06:48I have also made decisions that go in that direction.

06:51I am not married, I have no children,

06:53I have a house, I am 50 years old

06:55and I am buying a house now.

06:57I have always prioritized my career.

06:59You are right now in Oviedo,

07:01you know perfectly well Africa, Asia,

07:03you live in Latin America, the United States.

07:05What does Oviedo have?

07:07What do you see at the photographic level?

07:09How is the light? What does it look like?

07:11There is a spectacular light.

07:13You see things very well.

07:15It is a light that allows you to see very well

07:17and that draws attention.

07:19How beautiful.

07:21At the level of light, at the level of experience

07:23with the people of Oviedo.

07:25Thank you very much.

07:27Thank you very much.

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