Protect Journalists: Lessons from Ceuta

Key vocabulary

• condenarv.

  to condemn, denounce

  “Todos debemos condenar el racismo.”— We all must condemn racism.

  Pattern condenar la violencia condemn violence

  Compare criticar (criticize)

  Present: condeno, condenas, condena, condenamos, condenáis, condenan

  💡 The root comes from Latin condemnare, meaning 'to formally sentence,' extended to 'to condemn.'

• violenciaf.

  violence

  “La violencia no es una solución.”— Violence is not a solution.

  Pattern actos de violencia acts of violence

  Compare agresión (attack)

  Plural: violencias

  💡 Cognate with English violence, both from Latin violentia.

• periodistam./f.

  journalist

  “La periodista habla con la gente.”— The journalist talks with the people.

  Pattern periodista de guerra war correspondent

  Compare reportero (reporter/correspondent)

  Plural: periodistas

  💡 Derived from periodico (newspaper); the suffix -ista indicates a profession or believer.

• informarv.

  to report; to inform

  “El periodista informa sobre la crisis.”— The journalist reports on the crisis.

  Pattern informar sobre algo report on something

  Compare reportar (report)

  Present: informo, informas, informa, informamos, informáis, informan

  💡 Prefix in- (into) + forma (shape), to give shape to, extended to convey information.

• seguridadf.

  security, safety

  “La seguridad de los ciudadanos es importante.”— The safety of citizens is important.

  Pattern garantizar la seguridad guarantee safety

  Compare protección (protection)

  Plural: seguridades

  💡 The adjective is seguro (safe); the suffix -idad forms a noun.

• acosom.

  harassment

  “El acoso contra los periodistas es un problema.”— Harassment against journalists is a problem.

  Pattern acoso laboral workplace harassment

  Compare hostigamiento (harassment)

  Plural: acosos

  💡 From the verb acosar, meaning 'to pursue, to persecute.'

• sufrirv.

  to suffer, endure

  “Muchas personas sufren en la guerra.”— Many people suffer in the war.

  Pattern sufrir violencia suffer violence

  Compare padecer (suffer)

  Past participle: sufrido

  💡 Cognate with English suffer, from Latin sufferre.

• xenófoboadj.

  xenophobic

  “Los discursos xenófobos son peligrosos.”— Xenophobic speeches are dangerous.

  Pattern discurso xenófobo xenophobic speech

  Compare racista (racist)

  Feminine: xenófoba; plural: xenófobos/-as

  💡 Formed from xeno- (foreign) + -fobo (fear/hatred).

Grammar spotlight

Sentence patterns to steal

• Es muy importante que la sociedad tenga acceso a una información plural e independiente.

  It is very important that society has access to plural and independent information.

  Es + adjective + que + subjunctiveThe adjective can be replaced with: necesario (necessary), fundamental (fundamental), vital (vital).

• Los ataques aumentan el riesgo de que sufran violencia.

  The attacks increase the risk that they may suffer violence.

  aumentar el riesgo de que + subjunctiveThe verb can be replaced with: reducir (reduce), eliminar (eliminate).

• Estos actos solo contribuyen a aumentar un clima de violencia y de odio.

  These acts only contribute to increasing a climate of violence and hatred.

  contribuir a + infinitiveThe infinitive can be replaced with: crear (create), generar (generate), promover (promote).