Mario Vargas Llosa, journalist, novelist and one-time candidate for the presidency of Peru (he lost), is clearly not the man to seek out for an update about Paris Hilton's jail term.
The literary icon opened the World Editors Forum by delivering a well-aimed kicking at the Heatification of journalism - entertainment masquerading as news.
Vargas Llosa labels the frivolisation of journalism as "probably the greatest challenge that journalism has in modern times".
The Peruvian writer, who writes a biweekly column for El Pais, sent a video interview to the World Editor's Forum after doctors ordered him to curtail his travels.
His timely attack was ultimately unsatisfying.
For a surprisingly positive man, he was quite negative about aspects of journalism, saying that it had given up the fight.
"I think in many cases that journalism has abdicated because it is facing very difficult challenges, many media have considered that the only way to conquer or retain the public is banalisation, or frivolisation of journalism
"And this of course is very very dangerous.
"Because as I have said before, I am not against entertainment, Ithink entertainment is wonderful, life would be very boring without entertainment.
"But if journalism became only entertainment I think that would mean an abdication of what has been the most important function of journalism.
All too true, but was is the solution? Vargas Llosa, via video, didn't offer one and sadly, we weren't able to ask him to supply one.
