Irene Tabera: looks versus credibility on Spanish TV

Irene Tabera: when the neckline overshadows the résumé

A journalist making headlines for what she wears rather than for her work is a national pastime with a long tradition. But the case of Irene Tabera, a contributor to Cuarto Milenio and Horizonte, adds layers that go beyond simple sens: the credibility crisis of television, the politicisation of the media and a nostalgia for the days when presenters didn't pretend to be journalists.

Her looks as the trigger for a deeper debate

It all started with an appearance by Tabera on Horizonte wearing a neckline that, according to some, "nearly caused a heart attack". The immediate reaction was a wave of comments about her body, but the focus soon shifted to murkier ground: is Irene Tabera a journalist or just a pretty face in the service of entertainment? The discussion, picked up in specialised forums, pits those who praise her looks against those who question her professional rigour. There is no shortage of comparisons with other media figures, such as the controversial Santaolalla, accused of drawing a public salary at TVE without journalistic merit.

The political trench: media versus the Government

What could have remained a corridor joke took on a political hue. Mentions soon appeared of OkDiario, El Debate and The Objective, outlets aligned against the "sanchez dog government". The criticism of Tabera became a pretext for attacking Horizonte's editorial line and, by extension, the media left. Some participants in the debate claim that "the better-looking girls are on the right", a provocative remark that reveals how looks are used as a political weapon: a conservative presenter would, according to that logic, be more attractive than a pogre one. The ground, as you can see, is shaky.

Nineties nostalgia: when the "mamachicho" didn't hide their role

Among the comments, a current of melancholy for 1990s television emerges. Back then, figures like La Monroy or La Estrada were explicitly objects of desire and nobody sold them as "investigative journalists". "Now they try to sell them to you as journalists", laments one analyst. That line of argument suggests the problem is not looks per se, but the hypocrisy of a medium that wants to appear serious while resorting to the same old trick. The question is whether today's viewer is more naive or more cynical than the one from three decades ago.

No consensus in sight: does style matter more than substance?

The debate leaves more questions than answers. Should a journalist be judged by her appearance? Of course not, but the reality is that television is a visual medium. Can image be separated from message when the channel itself promotes its female contributors as bait? The hypocrisy is shared all round. Meanwhile, Irene Tabera remains on screen, and the noise around her not only shows no sign of stopping, it has become a mirror of the contradictions of Spanish journalism. And you, would you pay attention to what she says or to what she's wearing?