Over a hundred local journalism professionals gathered at the Balaguer Business and Innovation Centre for the 44th General Assembly of the ACPC and the 18th Convention of the Regional and Local Press. The meeting served to review the past year's activities and reflect on the sector's future challenges, with the association's 45th anniversary in sight.
During the General Assembly, chaired by ACPC president Francesc Fàbregas, the activity report, the 2026 budget, and member fees were approved. The ACPC currently represents 171 publications, all exclusively written in Catalan, a mandatory requirement for membership.
The Convention centered on two key presentations. Journalist Francesc Canosa advocated for the role of local media in addressing the 'information deserts' often overlooked by metropolitan outlets, stating that 'localism is the new globalism'. Meanwhile, Josep Carles Rius, president of the Council of Information of Catalonia (CIC), emphasized that 'regional press is the first line of defense against disinformation' and highlighted journalists' duty to combat falsehoods, supported by the new Code of Ethics.
Larsson, a new AI toolkit for media, was presented by Quico Domingo of Sorensen AI, showcasing its capabilities in multilingual transcription and automatic segmentation.
At the closing lunch, awards were given to publications celebrating significant anniversaries, including L’Eco de Sitges for its 140 years. The award for support to Regional Press was presented to the Pacte Nacional per la Llengua (National Pact for the Language), accepted by the Minister of Linguistic Policy, Francesc Xavier Vila.
“"It is an honor to receive this recognition, especially because it comes from local media. Media that help us understand ourselves better as a country. And this is also what the Pact seeks: to promote a collective and shared narrative that strengthens the projection of the language."
Minister Vila stressed the importance of local media for the country's cohesion. Francesc Fàbregas added that 'we are living through one of the most complex moments for journalism, where disinformation is gaining ground', and highlighted the credibility and trust offered by proximity press.
The mayor of Balaguer, Lorena González, concluded the event by emphasizing the vital relationship between local councils and regional media as a tool for citizen communication. The event was co-organized by ACPC and LA MIRA, with support from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Paeria de Balaguer.
