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- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
El País
Often seen as the responsible warden of theTransiciónyears, the most cerebral and
read of Spain’s nationals takes a left of centre line but is broad-minded enough to
print writers from all walks. Recently vociferous in its criticism of the Iraq war.
El Mundo
Yet to reach its 20thbirthday but still the second most read daily in Spain,El Mundois
another Madrid-based paper. A moderate right-winger, it makes a habit of exposing
political scandal on the left.
ABC
Spain’s third most popular daily, a veteran of 1905, drifts to the right of centre,
traditionally displaying a particular fondness for the monarchy. As withEl PaísandEl
Mundo, regional variations on the Madrid version are available.
La Vanguardia
Barcelona’s best-selling daily newspaper is available nationwide. Essentially it’s
politically neutral but has had solid roots, since 1881, in Catalan nationalism.
Printed in Castilian.
El Periódico de Catalunya
Running a close second toLa Vanguardia,
Catalonia’s other big daily newspaper, founded in
1978, has often taken a socialist line. Like its rival,
El Periódico de Catalunyadoesn’t sell especially
well outside the region. This one has editions in
both Castilian and Catalan.
Best of the press: Spain’s leading daily papers
State of undress
The period of sudden
freedom in Spanish
society immediately
following Franco’s
demise became known
asel destape, or ‘the
undressing’. The term
was quite fitting
where the press was
concerned, because
el destapeheralded a
sudden flood of
pornography.
