Schwarzenegger, Chile & California: the power of the press
We all know Arnold Schwarzenegger. We all know what he has done and what he has been doing.
On Monday, our own New York Times, El Mercurio, published the following: “In big TV spots and signs, Schwarzenegger asks voters to prefer fruits and vegetables grown in California and neighboring states, and not to buy the ones coming from Chile” (link - in Spanish). El Mercurio’s little brother, the afternoon paper La Segunda, said: “Schwarzenegger starts campaign against Chilean fruit in the US”.
Can you imagine what these articles caused down here? California is the biggest market for Chilean agricultural exports. The fact that Chile and California share most of the kinds of goods they produce and demand among the 35 million people in California and only 16 million in Chile, and while the production of fruits and vegetables in California occurs between May and September, December through April is the major season for produce in Chile. Everything makes the Chilean production of fruits and vegetables an opportunity, not a threat for the Californian market.
And we all know it. It is basic geography: while in the southern hemisphere it is summer, in the northern, it is winter. But Chilean authorities had to come up reminding everyone that, because every apple, every avocado got scared, they are not going to ship us!, they yelled; and we need to remember that they are still very young and they get emotional very easily. Who would like to eat a stressed tomato?
All jokes aside, this impasse finally got me –thanks to Skype– on the phone with Francisco Castillo, who is in charge of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Spanish spoken press office in Los Angeles, to talk about this matter. He was pissed off: “Those are alarming articles; they’re mistaken and irresponsible. California has an excellent relationship with Chile, especially in commerce affairs. […] It is irresponsible to publish that without asking in this office first”. I agree.
The press has an amazing power. It is not only that lots of people read something and believe it, but it turns out to be the conversation topic of the day, it is what people talk about during the day. It is what becomes public discourse. Thus, on Monday, Schwarzenegger was the Republican creep boycotting Chilean exports.
Language creates the world we live in. Those who hold the power to put their words in people’s minds, mouths and ears, have the power to change the world everyday for better and for worse. Being responsible for it is fundamental.
Here is the actual spot. (For those who read this on Facebook, click here and come to the original post and you will watch it.)
On Monday, our own New York Times, El Mercurio, published the following: “In big TV spots and signs, Schwarzenegger asks voters to prefer fruits and vegetables grown in California and neighboring states, and not to buy the ones coming from Chile” (link - in Spanish). El Mercurio’s little brother, the afternoon paper La Segunda, said: “Schwarzenegger starts campaign against Chilean fruit in the US”.
Can you imagine what these articles caused down here? California is the biggest market for Chilean agricultural exports. The fact that Chile and California share most of the kinds of goods they produce and demand among the 35 million people in California and only 16 million in Chile, and while the production of fruits and vegetables in California occurs between May and September, December through April is the major season for produce in Chile. Everything makes the Chilean production of fruits and vegetables an opportunity, not a threat for the Californian market.
And we all know it. It is basic geography: while in the southern hemisphere it is summer, in the northern, it is winter. But Chilean authorities had to come up reminding everyone that, because every apple, every avocado got scared, they are not going to ship us!, they yelled; and we need to remember that they are still very young and they get emotional very easily. Who would like to eat a stressed tomato?
All jokes aside, this impasse finally got me –thanks to Skype– on the phone with Francisco Castillo, who is in charge of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Spanish spoken press office in Los Angeles, to talk about this matter. He was pissed off: “Those are alarming articles; they’re mistaken and irresponsible. California has an excellent relationship with Chile, especially in commerce affairs. […] It is irresponsible to publish that without asking in this office first”. I agree.The press has an amazing power. It is not only that lots of people read something and believe it, but it turns out to be the conversation topic of the day, it is what people talk about during the day. It is what becomes public discourse. Thus, on Monday, Schwarzenegger was the Republican creep boycotting Chilean exports.
Language creates the world we live in. Those who hold the power to put their words in people’s minds, mouths and ears, have the power to change the world everyday for better and for worse. Being responsible for it is fundamental.
Here is the actual spot. (For those who read this on Facebook, click here and come to the original post and you will watch it.)
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