C2 · 50 words
Investigative journalism in Spanish
Sources, documents, verification and the legal limits — the work behind a revelation.
El filtrador is the person who leaks, and the Spanish verb behind it says the opposite of ours. Filtrar is to filter: coffee, water, a list of results. A filter is a thing that holds back. But filtrar un documento a la prensa is to leak it, and la filtración is the leak — the same noun a plumber uses for water coming through a wall. English took its word from the pipe, Spanish from the paper cone, and the two pictures pull in opposite directions: ours is something escaping, theirs is something seeping through what should have stopped it. Which is, if you think about it, the more exact description of what happens in a ministry.
The words
View
Phrase (49)
el periodismo de investigaciónthe journalism that takes months over one piecePhraseC2
El periodismo de investigación tarda meses en una pieza.Investigative journalism takes months over one piece.
la hipótesis de trabajo periodísticathe working hypothesis, which has to be droppablePhraseC2
La hipótesis de trabajo periodística hay que poder abandonarla.The journalistic working hypothesis has to be one you can drop.
la fuente documental directathe documentary source: the paper itself, not whoever describes itPhraseC2
La fuente documental directa es el papel, no quien lo cuenta.The direct documentary source is the paper, not whoever describes it.
la fuente bajo reserva de identidadthe source who talks on condition of not being namedPhraseC2
La fuente bajo reserva de identidad obliga a explicar por qué lo es.A source who withholds their name obliges you to explain why.
la doble fuentethe rule of two sources who did not get it from each otherPhraseC2
La doble fuente exige dos que no se copien entre sí.The two-source rule demands two who do not copy each other.
la protección de la fuentethe legal protection of a source who cannot be namedPhraseC2
La protección de la fuente está reconocida por ley.Protection of sources is recognised in law.
la información de fondothe background information that steers the work and is not quotedPhraseC2
La información de fondo orienta pero no se cita.Background information steers the work but is not quoted.
la declaración atribuiblethe statement that can be quoted with a name against itPhraseC2
La declaración atribuible lleva nombre y cargo.An attributable statement carries a name and a post.
el canal seguro de recepciónthe intake channel that keeps no metadataPhraseC2
El canal seguro de recepción no guarda metadatos.The secure intake channel keeps no metadata.
la cadena de custodia del documentothe record of who held the document, kept from day onePhraseC2
La cadena de custodia del documento se anota desde el primer día.The chain of custody of the document is noted from the first day.
la autenticidad del documentothe check that the document is what it claims to bePhraseC2
La autenticidad del documento se comprueba antes de leerlo entero.The authenticity of the document is checked before it is read through.
la falsificación creíblethe forgery good enough to be publishedPhraseC2
La falsificación creíble se hace para ser publicada.A convincing forgery is made in order to be published.
la verificación cruzadathe checking of one record against a different onePhraseC2
La verificación cruzada contrasta dos registros distintos.Cross-checking sets two different records against each other.
el registro público consultablethe public register anybody may consultPhraseC2
El registro público consultable evita depender de un testigo.A public register open to consultation saves depending on a witness.
la solicitud de acceso a la informaciónthe freedom-of-information requestPhraseC2
La solicitud de acceso a la información se contesta en un mes.A freedom-of-information request is answered within a month.
la denegación de acceso al expedientethe refusal of access, which is itself an answer worth printingPhraseC2
La denegación de acceso al expediente también es una respuesta publicable.Refusal of access to the file is also an answer worth printing.
el rastreo de sociedadesthe tracing of companies through the people who run themPhraseC2
El rastreo de sociedades sigue el hilo de los administradores.Tracing companies follows the thread of the directors.
la titularidad realthe person who really owns what the companies holdPhraseC2
La titularidad real se esconde tras tres sociedades.The real owner hides behind three companies.
el análisis de datos periodísticothe analysis of data, which looks for a pattern and not an anecdotePhraseC2
El análisis de datos periodístico encuentra el patrón, no la anécdota.Journalistic data analysis finds the pattern, not the anecdote.
el conjunto de datos filtradothe leaked dataset, which arrives without any documentationPhraseC2
El conjunto de datos filtrado llega sin documentación.The leaked dataset arrives without documentation.
la limpieza de los datosthe cleaning of that data, which takes longer than the analysisPhraseC2
La limpieza de los datos ocupa más tiempo que el análisis.Cleaning the data takes longer than analysing it.
la anonimización de datos sensiblesthe stripping out of what would identify a private personPhraseC2
La anonimización de datos sensibles se hace antes de publicar.Sensitive data is anonymised before publication.
la geolocalización de una imagenthe working out of where a picture was takenPhraseC2
La geolocalización de una imagen usa sombras y edificios.Geolocating an image uses shadows and buildings.
la datación de un vídeothe working out of when a video was takenPhraseC2
La datación de un vídeo se apoya en el tiempo atmosférico.Dating a video leans on the weather.
el material audiovisual descontextualizadothe genuine footage that misleads because its context is gonePhraseC2
El material audiovisual descontextualizado es real y engaña igual.Footage taken out of context is real and misleads all the same.
la entrevista de confrontaciónthe interview that puts the findings to the person accusedPhraseC2
La entrevista de confrontación se prepara pregunta por pregunta.The confrontation interview is prepared question by question.
la oportunidad de contestar antes de publicarthe chance to answer, offered before anything is publishedPhraseC2
La oportunidad de contestar antes de publicar se ofrece siempre.The chance to answer before publication is always offered.
la negativa a comentarthe refusal to comment, recorded word for wordPhraseC2
La negativa a comentar se recoge textualmente.A refusal to comment is recorded word for word.
la carta previa a la publicaciónthe letter that sets out every claim before publicationPhraseC2
La carta previa a la publicación enumera cada afirmación.The letter sent before publication lists every claim.
la revisión jurídica del textothe legal read, which does not decide what gets publishedPhraseC2
La revisión jurídica del texto no decide qué se publica.The legal read of the text does not decide what is published.
el riesgo de difamaciónthe risk of defamation, which grows with the adjectivePhraseC2
El riesgo de difamación crece con el adjetivo, no con el dato.The risk of defamation grows with the adjective, not with the fact.
la demanda intimidatoriathe lawsuit meant to cost money rather than to be wonPhraseC2
La demanda intimidatoria busca el coste, no la sentencia.The intimidating lawsuit is after the cost, not the judgment.
el interés público de la informaciónthe public interest that justifies the intrusionPhraseC2
El interés público de la información justifica la intromisión.The public interest in the information justifies the intrusion.
la proporcionalidad de la intromisiónthe weighing of the intrusion against what it is forPhraseC2
La proporcionalidad de la intromisión se argumenta por escrito.The proportionality of the intrusion is argued in writing.
la cámara ocultathe hidden camera, allowed only when nothing else will doPhraseC2
La cámara oculta solo se admite como último recurso.The hidden camera is admitted only as a last resort.
la infiltración periodísticathe reporting done under cover, which must be justified in the piecePhraseC2
La infiltración periodística exige justificarlo en el propio texto.Going under cover has to be justified in the piece itself.
el compromiso de confidencialidadthe promise of confidentiality, which outlasts publicationPhraseC2
El compromiso de confidencialidad se mantiene después de publicar.The undertaking of confidentiality holds after publication too.
el conflicto de intereses del mediothe outlet's own conflict of interest, declared in the piecePhraseC2
El conflicto de intereses del medio se declara en el propio reportaje.The outlet's conflict of interest is declared in the report itself.
la independencia editorialthe editorial independence visible in what is not publishedPhraseC2
La independencia editorial se nota en lo que no se publica.Editorial independence shows in what is not published.
el consejo de redacciónthe editorial meeting, which discusses the angle and not the headlinePhraseC2
El consejo de redacción discute el enfoque, no el titular.The editorial meeting discusses the angle, not the headline.
la trazabilidad de cada afirmaciónthe ability to trace every single claim back to its sourcePhraseC2
La trazabilidad de cada afirmación se documenta en una tabla.The traceability of every claim is documented in a table.
la corrección publicadathe correction printed where the mistake wasPhraseC2
La corrección publicada va donde estaba el error.The published correction goes where the mistake was.
la transparencia del métodothe openness about method, which replaces being trusted blindlyPhraseC2
La transparencia del método sustituye a la confianza ciega.Openness about method takes the place of blind trust.
la colaboración transfronterizathe work shared across borders and across newsroomsPhraseC2
La colaboración transfronteriza reparte el riesgo entre redacciones.Cross-border collaboration spreads the risk across newsrooms.
la publicación coordinadathe publication timed to appear at once in several countriesPhraseC2
La publicación coordinada sale el mismo día en varios países.Coordinated publication comes out on the same day in several countries.
el impacto verificable de la publicaciónthe effect that can be demonstrated, counted in decisionsPhraseC2
El impacto verificable de la publicación se mide en decisiones, no en visitas.The demonstrable impact of publication is measured in decisions, not in visits.
el archivo de la investigaciónthe archive of the investigation, kept under lock and keyPhraseC2
El archivo de la investigación se conserva bajo llave.The archive of the investigation is kept under lock and key.
la nota metodológica al piethe note at the foot saying what could not be checkedPhraseC2
La nota metodológica al pie dice qué no se pudo comprobar.The methodological note at the foot says what could not be checked.
la seguridad digital del periodistathe digital security of the newsroom, which protects the source tooPhraseC2
La seguridad digital del periodista protege también a la fuente.The journalist's digital security protects the source as well.
Noun (m) (1)
el filtradorthe person who hands over what they were not meant toNoun (m)C2
El filtrador asume un riesgo desproporcionado.The leaker takes on a disproportionate risk.
This list belongs to Society, politics and media — 23 lists and 1150 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.