It was a Graham Greene's Chamberi would have preferred that newspapers are edited forever in brown paper. "I'm just a reporter and only editorial writers believe in God", I used to repeat that phrase from the author of "The Impassive American", to demystify the media -and gear, passing, the empavonamiento of many colleagues, for his beloved journalism Street (forgive the redundancy). Only, for him, the street and the very latest were very deep and very long.
Worth taking a joy ride to observe in situ the planetary shots
If his countryman Miguel de Unamuno, Castilian also adoption, coined the notion of "intrahistory", Manu Leguineche chose to become an "intra-historian". That was his trade, as reporter and reporter, Oscillating between self-exile and "the world-hurts-me". Skeptical, melancholy and affable, It seems that, very young, I had thought about the shot, respectively, Hemingway stuck and Larra -with whose moods had prosas and contact points- and he had advised himself that, rather than imitate, worth taking a joy ride to observe in situ the planetary shots. Although some might take for transvestite Oriana Fallaci, or by a thick Miguel de la Quadra and beret, See if there unamunismo in their views: «It hurts me that the transcendent is increasingly ephemeral, but I take comfort in knowing that, at the same time, the ephemeral is more and more ephemeral».
He continued, in that cloudy morning January 1989, I noted that there was now a quarter century exact: "What is journalism?? Very easy: the denunciation of any form of abuse of power. Why it is necessarily reflective, because now always responds to a context: situation but it is not effective. And that conception of journalism is the one that is being lost».
Yes, It is the global village, but not more than a village
I interviewed him in his office at the LID Agency, in a stately building in the Madrid Zurbano Street, and thus mitigated their epic adventures in the world: "Yes, It is the global village, but it's just a village". One came with jitters neophyte who is for the first time before a giant of the profession. For, still in its quarantine, Leguineche was already a prestigious member of "La tribu", as the title of one of his emblematic books, with multiple awards and accolades to his credit, not only came back, but give it a few times around the world. But, It was not necessary, at least, icebreaker to appear Manu. Almost a teddy bear human dimensions, kind and empathetic as himself, In addition to completely disbelieved, it transmitted one live culturón, presential, organic, of those who feed, in any area or topic to play. While there was water in his eyes that patina, falsely elusive, those who combine the frank affection with blush and skepticism.
When we had nearly an hour of conversation, I realized that, actually, it was he who was interviewing him one, eager to know in detail what they thought the new generation of journalism and life. He considered himself and then a species in danger of extinction. The war journalists dictating their stories by telephone, near the barricades, and above, with the ability to -intrahistórica reflection contextualizing, we said- de Manu Leguineche. «We get used to making a tear with a rip. We had to be just as "all-terrain" as the "all-terrain" in which we moved, and, especially, life was inseparable from the profession, in that street journalism. Today, all that has been displaced by the specific correspondent, serving more canned news. I dont think is bad, but I'll stay with the other", manifested. He already felt like a member of "The Tribe", just, He is alluding war reporters, but also, at bottom, reporters race, general. These were characterized by what Leguineche called there the triple "D": divorcees, Depressed and dipsomaniacs…
Leguineche called it the triple "D": divorcees, Depressed and dipsomaniacs
I was surprised to see a gas stove, next to a forest of newspaper clippings underlined, in that noble office of director of a news agency. He understood that it was, actually, campaign barracks that overall villager residing anywhere. That's how it always was - "but the fleeing traveler", says the tango- disease until it fell in a wheelchair and took refuge in a real village of La Alcarria. Open and lopsided smile, at the same time, hiperafectivo, goody, but shy, skeptical, existentially scalded. And is that, already then, he himself suffered triple "D" from his diagnosis. I do not know exactly depressed, but with considerable distaste, as if he were displaced until they move again ("An epic of melancholy", was the title of that profile-interview).
also dipsomaniac, but rather came tabernario, accompanying his addiction mus («Young journalists no longer blow as we did», said). And, somewhat, also divorced, for although he never married, It had been a couple for years by journalist Rosa Maria Mateo, and is famous anecdote when, many years after the break, it interviewed him on a TV show, and asked for his life adventurous journalist, at what point there was the most exciting experience, Leguineche responded, live on camera: "When I Met You"…
Miss, It does not care and gives me extreme unction
He, certainly, a sense of mood lapidary. they say, boarded a plane that seemed about to crash, while all the passengers shouting, He turned impassive and smiling flight attendant and said,: "Miss, He doesn't care and gives me extreme unction". But, especially, He had an unusual ability to talk, the cultured and pleasant time, As much rarer was accompanied by an affectivity and generosity that neither asking nor expecting anything in return. Despite being hypercritical with the institutions and the debasement of success ("in this trade there are too many people who worship the golden calf", said), It had a proverbial hand to be better than good journalists with the most disparate, to the point of cultivating the friendship of people of the guild that each other have declared war. Perhaps, That was his best learning as a reporter from the barricades.
Article published in La Provincia de Canarias
