Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – "Narrar el abismo" with Patricia Simón, Cristina Heeren and the Pulse of Spanish Culture

Podcast: Hoy por Hoy (SER Podcast)
Host: Àngels Barceló
Date: November 25, 2025
Main Guests: Patricia Simón, Cristina Heeren, Eduardo Barba, Martín Bianchi, Comando Norte team

Episode Overview

This episode of Hoy por Hoy offers a rich mosaic of Spanish social, cultural, and political topics. The spotlight is on journalist Patricia Simón and her new book "Narrar el abismo. Periodismo de conflictos en tiempo de impunidad", as she delves into the ethics and challenges of conflict journalism and media’s role in fostering (or eroding) critical citizenship. The magazine also honors flamenco icon Cristina Heeren, addresses winter gardening tasks with Eduardo Barba, and dives into monarchy gossip and social trends with Martín Bianchi.

Àngels Barceló, with her trusted contributors, creates a compelling dialogue about empathy, memory, and the role of journalism, while also sprinkling moments of humor, personal reflection, and cultural irony throughout the show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections on the Mining Accident in Asturias

Speakers: Àngels Barceló, Aitana Castaño

• Recent mining disaster in Vega de Rengos, Asturias leaves two dead (Óscar Díaz and Nilsson Soares).
• Aitana details the diminishing size of the mining sector, yet highlights ongoing risks and a recent streak of miner fatalities (7 in 2025 alone) [04:08].
• The conversation underscores the persistent dangers and labor struggles, despite technological advances and industry decline.

2. Patricia Simón and "Narrar el abismo" – Journalism in Times of Impunity

Speakers: Patricia Simón, Àngels Barceló, Aitana Castaño, Nacho Carretero

• About the Book: Narrar el abismo is a letter to readers/listeners overwhelmed by violence and tragedy in the news, urging them not to turn away and explaining why reporting horror matters [07:08].
• Impunity in War:

  "La borrachera de violencia que es una guerra. Se sienten impunes tanto los mandatarios que la dirigen como quienes la ejecutan. Pero quienes la sufren... son las víctimas." – Patricia Simón [07:22]

• Audience Disengagement with News:
  • News avoidance jumps from 29% (2017) to 40% (2025).
  • Simón attributes this to emotional fatigue and systemic overexposure.

  “El pacto ético que significa el periodismo en realidad ahora mismo... está intentando secuestrar las democracias.” – Patricia Simón [08:22]

• Ethics of Witnessing & Giving Voice:
  • Naming both the victims and perpetrators is crucial.
  • Journalism as resistance against the silencing of trauma and injustice.

  “Una de las primeras violencias que sufren las víctimas es la ley del silencio... poner palabras a esa experiencia y nombrar también a los responsables.” – Patricia Simón [12:14]

• Over-Information & Emotional Habits:
  • The importance of developing "healthy information habits" akin to healthy eating, especially in the digital age [15:52].

  "Consumimos como con bulimia, sin control." – Patricia Simón [15:52]

  • Proposal: Media literacy in schools and critical information consumption.
• Ground-Level Reporting & Humanization:
  • Importance of reporting from the "rear guard"—those who preserve life amid chaos, especially women who feed and hold communities together.

  “Lo realmente valioso es la retaguardia, allí donde se resguarda la vida.” – Patricia Simón [18:25]

• On the Impact of Journalistic Work:
  • Questioning the utility of their work, but affirming the value of planting “a drop of empathy” in society [22:02].

  “Con que consigamos a veces meter una gotita de empatía... ya estamos haciendo algo importantísimo.” – Patricia Simón [22:02]

3. Club de las Mis Experiencias: Cristina Heeren – A Life for Flamenco

Speakers: Chema Rodríguez, Àngels Barceló, Cristina Heeren

• Profile: Born in NYC, descendant of retail tycoons and a Brazilian mother—Heeren settled in Spain in the '60s to pursue her passion for flamenco.
• Flamenco School Legacy: Founded almost 30 years ago in Seville, Cristina Heeren Foundation is a bastion of flamenco education.

  "Los que salen de ahí... están en todos los escenarios del mundo ahora." – Cristina Heeren [32:09]

• On Flamenco’s Universal Appeal:
  • 40% of students are foreign, many from cultures with rigid societies (like Japan) drawn to flamenco's expressive freedom [32:53].

  "El flamenco representa todo lo contrario para ellos." – Cristina Heeren [33:19]

• Essence of Artistry:
  • Technical prowess is necessary, but true artistry (duende) is indefinable and sometimes present in the least expected students.

  "La técnica se aprende, pero claro, no todo el mundo ha nacido artista." – Cristina Heeren [34:17]

• Reflections on Social Circles, Nobility, and Art:
  • Heeren values the cultural mix and feels especially at home among flamenco artists.
  • She discusses the tension she now feels about bullfighting, viewing it as “a balance between art and cruelty” [37:03].

4. Winter Gardening and Botanical Adventure

Speakers: Eduardo Barba, Àngels Barceló

• Gardening Guidance:
  • Bring indoor plants closer to windows in winter.
  • Water less, only when soil is dry; watch for heating drying out the air and plants [48:47].
  • Only fertilize if there’s active growth.
  • Don’t prune until leaf fall is complete; always know what species you’re pruning [58:29].
  • Add color with bulbs and flowering plants (e.g., cyclamen) [60:05].
• Botanists’ Emotional Journey:
  • Eduardo Barba shares the thrill of botanical discovery, comparing his own experience in Namibia finding a rare "hermania" to the team hunting Rafflesia in Sumatra for 13 years [44:53; 84:11].

  “Cuando llegó empezó a bailar porque era esa hermania que no se había vuelto a ver desde hacía docenas... de años.” – Eduardo Barba [84:11]

5. Club Vega: Social Trends & Royal Gossip

Speakers: Martín Bianchi, Àngels Barceló

• Royal Anniversaries:
  • Festivities around the 50th anniversary of the Spanish monarchy, with notable absences (Juan Carlos I not present for official events, tension with the royal family) [61:40+].
  • Personalities, succession politics, and the exclusive social dynamics at family gatherings.
• Elite Leisure:
  • Debutantes’ ball in Paris for the ultra-wealthy, with Borbón-Orleáns connections [68:31].
  • Madrid sees the opening of “Vega,” a new members-only club by Íñigo Onieva and Cristiano Ronaldo (4,000€/year): restaurant, bar, gym, inspired by supposedly literary and social clubs, but skewing toward exclusivity and nightlife [73:54].

  “La tentación vive en el Vega.” – Martín Bianchi, playfully warning Onieva’s nights out [75:15]

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "Mi fe en ChatGPT es infinito."
  – Nacho Carretero jokes about information gathering today [01:25].

• "La borrachera de violencia que es una guerra. Se sienten impunes tanto los mandatarios... como quienes la ejecutan."
  – Patricia Simón on who feels impunity in war [07:22].

• "El pacto ético que significa el periodismo... está intentando secuestrar las democracias."
  – Patricia Simón on journalism’s democratic role [08:22].

• "Consumimos como con bulimia, sin control."
  – Patricia Simón on media overconsumption [15:52].

• "Lo realmente valioso es la retaguardia, allí donde se resguarda la vida."
  – Patricia Simón discussing the unseen heroes in wars [18:25].

• "La técnica se aprende, pero claro, no todo el mundo ha nacido artista."
  – Cristina Heeren, on the mystery of flamenco artistry [34:17].

• "Con que consigamos... meter una gotita de empatía... ya estamos haciendo algo importantísimo."
  – Patricia Simón, on the impact of journalism [22:02].

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:08] Mining accident recap with Aitana Castaño
• [06:40] Patricia Simón joins, begins talking about her book
• [07:22 – 09:26] On war, impunity, and resistance through journalism
• [10:51] Gaza “peace” and shifting media attention
• [15:52] Effects of over-information, need for media hygiene
• [18:25] Importance of the ‘retaguardia’ in reporting on conflict
• [22:00] Does journalism make a difference?
• [23:56] Cristina Heeren’s life, flamenco foundation, family, and art
• [32:53] Foreign students, universality of flamenco
• [37:03] Ethics of bullfighting and personal evolution
• [41:28] Gardening tips begin; winter care specifics
• [44:53] Botanical discovery narrative by Eduardo Barba
• [61:40] Royal family events, Toisón de Oro, and palace intrigue
• [68:31] Preview: Paris debutante ball and Borbón-Orléans debut
• [73:54] Club Vega: controversial new private club in Madrid
• [84:11] Emotional reflection on botanical finds

Tone and Style

The episode blends journalistic rigor and cultural savvy with warmth, humor, and wit. Moments of levity (chat about allergies, sock preferences, aristocratic anecdotes) balance serious conversations about trauma, ethical journalism, and societal responsibility. The speakers remain candid and passionate, with a distinctly conversational and, at times, self-deprecating Spanish tone.

For Listeners New to the Episode

This episode is a deeply relevant conversation about not only the state of journalism and public empathy in troubled times, but also a vivid patchwork of Spanish culture—where mining tragedies, the resilient spirit of flamenco, botanical discoveries, royal scandals, and everyday pleasures (like the joy of new socks) all coexist. It equips listeners with both a critical gaze on the headlines and gentle reminders to seek out empathy, memory, and beauty even in an uncertain world.