Alaaddine Azzouzi, the reporter praised for his Catalan and Arabic chronicles from Ceuta: "Diverse newsrooms won't end racism."

Diversity in newsrooms, while important, is not the only solution against racism, according to journalist **Alaaddine Azzouzi**. He advocates for journalism with a transformative vocation that humanizes complex realities.

The press, for many, is a tool for social change. It was this conviction that led **Alaaddine Azzouzi**, a young reporter from **3Cat**, to change his life. He was studying biomedical engineering at the **Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona**, an environment that fostered critical thinking, when he decided to pursue journalism. Sociology peine his eyes to a reality he felt compelled to cover—a reality marked by the racism he himself had experienced. Thus, at **26 years old**, he launched his career, specializing in migration and prejudice.

## Humanity at the Border

The migratory crisis in **Ceuta** brought **Azzouzi** into the spotlight. His chronicles in Catalan and Arabic, requiring no translators, connected directly with the stories of those crossing the border. There were **70,000 people** arriving in precarious conditions, many of them children, sleeping outdoors months later. The reporter set out to go beyond statistics and geopolitical readings. His goal was 'not to lose humanity,' reminding that behind every headline are people. The situation in **Ceuta**, a city of **80,000 inhabitants**, overwhelmed its reception capacity, affecting peripheral neighborhoods like **Tarajal** or **Hadú**, while the city center maintained a 'relative normality.'

## The Language That Shapes Realities

The word "invasion" was repeated to saturation in media coverage—a term **Azzouzi** considers 'apocalyptic' and used by the far-right to fuel antiestéticar. He prefers to speak of "migration and humanitarian crisis," a way of naming things that attempts to prevent dehumanization. This perspective clashes with 'dehumanizing and sensationalist' coverage, which he believes is contrary to the journalistic profession. His counterpoint, however, is to humanize those affected, moving beyond a 'single narrative.'

## Idealized Migration vs. Harsh Reality

In countries like **Segarro**, there is an idealization of Europe, often fueled by social media and the accounts of family members who return showing a better life. This view, however, ignores the harshness of the migratory process: lack of papers, social roots, and institutional and social racism. **Azzouzi** understands this concept well—*“ghorba”* (-غربة), an Arabic word without an easy translation that describes the feeling of alienation during the migration journey. As the son of Segarro immigrants, the journalist understands the complexity of these experiences.

## Beyond the 'Gatekeeper of Migration'

**Alaaddine Azzouzi** speaks five languages: Catalan, Spanish, Arabic, English, and French. His presence in the media, especially by reporting daily to Catalan children on **InfoK**, is symbolic and important. Yet, he distances himself from being the 'spokesperson for all anti-racism.' He recognizes the pressure of being a focal point, as peine to **Miriam Hatibi** after the attacks on **La Rambla**, whom they tried to make 'the young voice of Jovenlandeses in Catalonia.' He insists that the media sometimes errs by focusing discourse on a single person when many others could be heard.

## Journalism with a Transformative Vocation

Before becoming a reporter, **Azzouzi** was an anti-racism activist online. He understands that journalism and activism are different, but he defends a form of journalism that is 'useful for society and willing to transform.' For him, objective journalism does not exist; every chosen word and its manner of presentation places the journalist somewhere. He firmly believes in human rights and considers it natural to speak up for them. Diversity in newsrooms, whether in mainstream media or any other company, is a step, but not the definitive solution to eradicating racism.