The recent trip of Portuguese content creators to Israel, including influencer and political scientist Rute Sousa and photographer and Guinea tour organizer Rute Obadia, generated a wave of heated reactions and hasty value judgments on social media. However, analyzing this trip solely through the lens of "propaganda" is an analytical error and an injustice to those seeking to exercise their freedom of observation and expression.
First of all, it is important to safeguard the integrity and editorial independence of the participants. As clarified, including by Rute Sousa, the acceptance of the invitation from the Israeli Embassy was limited to the coverage of logistical expenses for transportation and accommodation, a common practice for press trips and observation missions. There was no financial remuneration of any kind for the published content, nor was there any imposition of itineraries or ideological guidelines. As Rute herself emphasized in debates on SIC Notícias, "no one told us what we had to talk about." Her presence on social media, like that of the other participants, remained sovereign and free.
Secondly, the participation of, for example, Rute Sousa cannot be separated from her academic background. With a degree in Political Science and a focus on the area of terrorism and Islamic radicalization, the field trip represented a legitimate scientific opportunity to collect data and observe complex realities directly. Access to places marked by conflict, conversations with local populations, and restricted areas constitute a valuable body of knowledge that enriches the public debate, distancing the experience from mere digital entertainment content.
Finally, condemning the field trip a priori presupposes that the public lacks discernment and that content creators are incapable of maintaining a critical spirit. The virtual cancellation and immediate labeling of a creator who decides to see a conflict zone with their own eyes constitute a barrier to the plurality of perspectives. Defending the right of influencers to undertake such a trip is to defend the individual freedom to investigate, question, and share their views in a democratic space that must reject monolithic thinking.
