What Happened
An opinion column published by La Prensa and signed by a former director of the paper argues that social media constitutes a new “printing press” that has radically expanded who can speak — but has dismantled the ethical filters that once helped societies separate fact from falsehood. The column traces a line from the medieval monopoly on books to today’s instant, attention-driven flows of information.
Key Arguments
The author recalls that in medieval Europe more than 90% of the population was illiterate and books were copied and controlled in monasteries. The arrival of the printing press broke that control, democratized knowledge and helped create journalism as a profession with an ethical role: verify facts and hold power to account.
By contrast, the column says, social media has placed an infinitely powerful “printing press” in every person’s pocket. While this democratization has many benefits, it has also removed traditional filters: information now circulates immediately and emotionally, and visibility is often driven by impact rather than truth. The result, the author warns, is not merely misinformation but a deeper “crisis of criterion” in which societies lose the capacity to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Background
The piece positions itself as a reflection on the ethical and civic consequences of technological change, arguing that technology has outpaced the development of a matching public conscience. The author contends that regulation alone is not the solution — it risks becoming a form of control — and instead calls for a cultural shift in which citizens learn to communicate responsibly and to verify information.
What This Means for Panama
For readers in Panama, the column serves as a reminder of the civic role of journalism and the responsibilities of individual communicators. It frames media literacy and ethical communication as collective priorities: educating people to think critically, to doubt, and to verify. The author suggests that this kind of civic formation is the path toward restoring value to truth in public life.
Implications
The column leaves readers with a moral question rather than a technological prescription: can societies cultivate a culture that treats truth as valuable, or will public discourse devolve into an environment where all claims are treated equally regardless of veracity? The answer, the author insists, lies with citizens and civic formation rather than platforms alone.
The commentary was written by a former director of La Prensa.