Xavier Giró receives the 2024 Ramon Barnils Honorific Award

Giró dedicated more than three decades to teaching at the UAB, where he lectured on Political Journalism. He was also the director of the Department of Media, Communication and Culture and coordinator of the Master's Degree in Communication of Social and International Conflicts. During his career, he promoted the Observatory for Conflict Coverage (OCC), an initiative that promotes a fairer and more balanced media coverage of conflicts, with his research Critical Discourse Analysis, and was part of ORIGEN, an observatory to regulate gender equality in newscasts. He also promoted the working group Journalism for Peace of the Association of Journalists of Catalonia, a platform to reflect and study the role of journalism in conflicts and promote good reporting practices. 

Born in Badalona in 1955, Giró has been a tireless advocate of ethical and critical journalism. His academic work has been complemented by numerous research and publications, including his recent book Contra la neutralitat. Un periodisme de pau i de lluita (Crític, Pol·len Edicions), a work that questions the traditional conception of objectivity and impartiality in journalism. Giró was also awarded the Muriel Casals Communication Prize of Òmnium Cultural, which recognises his immense contribution to journalism and communication in Catalonia. This award is a testament to his dedication to the promotion of journalism committed to truth and social justice. In addition, Xavier Giró received a distinction for his ability to adapt to the changes and challenges of the current media landscape, always maintaining a critical and constructive stance.