Cristina de Middel, born in 1975 in Alicante, has led the Magnum Photos agency since 2022. In 2021 she published Afronauts, a book documenting the unusual spaceship program Zambia attempted in the 1960s to compete with the United States and the Soviet Union. The goal was to launch twelve astronauts and ten cats to the Moon. It is one of De Middel’s most famous projects, and she splits her time between Brazil and Spain. She spoke with LA NUEVA ESPAÑA by phone, while waiting at an airport on her way to New York.
–How has this year’s Princesa de Asturias Award for Concordia been received?
–It represents support and recognition, a boost for a world like photojournalism that is threatened by a crisis of faith in images and information. It acknowledges the struggle and the work done with independence, a serious body of work created with patience, and the refusal to chase the rapid pace of today. The prize arrives at a moment when artificial intelligence looms over photography’s future.
–How does Magnum balance its founding values with financial viability and business needs?
–Magnum is a company that must provide for its employees and their families. That is one layer. There is another: Magnum is an institution because of its history and the photographers who shaped it. The agency’s management cannot contradict the values carried by those who wear them on their chests. A delicate balance must be achieved.
–What is the greatest contemporary threat to photojournalism?
–We are in a period of adaptation. More people consume more images, yet many do not know how to read them. Visual literacy is essential so people can interpret pictures. The platforms where images are shared can reinforce preconceptions and polarization, leaving photojournalism at the mercy of audience reactions.
–Is the tyranny of the audience the only pressure besides political and economic forces?
–It is rare to meet a photojournalist aligned with any political power. Magnum began as a cooperative of independent photographers founded by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, David Seymour, and George Rodger. Today it has about 44 active professionals, with perhaps ninety in total when including senior members. Its history spans nearly 80 years and remains a dynamic agency filled with energy. There is a strong desire to create and collaborate. If Magnum were a newspaper or magazine, concessions would be expected, but as an agency it is about producing work. Independence remains a core value for Magnum’s professionals, the freedom to pursue their own truthful vision of reality.
–As mentioned earlier, the times are not favorable for photojournalism.
–Truth now seems diluted. The challenge is not being deceived but navigating a landscape where many claim to be presenting truth. Building a credible truth depends on support, and at times a new story earns belief while another does not. Journalism today is more demanding than twenty or thirty years ago.
–Spain’s representation in Magnum is entirely female.
–There has been significant change in that area. Magnum stays attuned to social shifts and reflects them in its work. This realism extends beyond gender to geography and social aspects as well.