El Mundo (Spain)
Encyclopedia
El Mundo is the second largest printed and the largest digital (elmundo.es) daily newspaper in Spain and one of the newspapers of record
in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the digital one in 2009. It first appeared on October 23, 1989, founded by Alfonso de Salas, Pedro J. Ramírez
(who still serves as publisher and editor), Balbino Fraga and Juan González, a journalist. As for its editorial line, it often expresses the mainstream views of the Spanish centre-right with independent and liberal overtones.
It has its headquarters in Madrid, but maintains several news bureaus in outlying cities, and different editions are printed for regions such as Andalusia
, Valencia, Castile and León
, the Balearic Islands
, Bilbao
, etc. Unlike other Spanish newspapers, its editor, Pedro J. Ramírez, is a prominent public figure who has become linked with the paper in the eyes of the public.
Today El Mundo, along with Marca
and Expansión, is controlled by the Italian publishing company RCS MediaGroup
, through its Spanish subsidiary company Unidad Editorial S.L.
and tax fraud
by the governor of the Central Bank of Spain
. Investigative reporting by the staff of El Mundo also revealed connections between the terrorist Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación
(GAL) and the Socialist
administration of Felipe González
, revelations that contributed to his defeat in the 1996 elections.
In October 2005, El Mundo revealed that Nazi Aribert Heim
(aka "Doctor Death") had been living in Spain for 20 years, probably with help from the ODESSA
network, in collaboration with Otto Skorzeny
, who had helped set up one of the most important ODESSA bases of operation in Spain, during the rule of the late dictator Francisco Franco
.
After the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
, the newspapers El Mundo and La Razón
, the regional television channel Telemadrid
and the COPE
radio network alleged that there had been inconsistencies in the explanations given by the Spanish judiciary about the bombings. Other Spanish media, such as El País, ABC
and the Cadena SER
radio network, accused El Mundo and the other media of manipulation over this issue. The bombings and the subsequent judicial showdown are still hotly debated in Spain today.
Newspaper of record
Newspaper of record is a term that may refer either to any publicly available newspaper that has been authorized by a government to publish public or legal notices , or any major newspaper that has a large circulation and whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered professional and...
in that country, with a daily circulation topping 300,000 readers for the printed edition and 24 million unique web visitors per month for the digital one in 2009. It first appeared on October 23, 1989, founded by Alfonso de Salas, Pedro J. Ramírez
Pedro J. Ramírez
Pedro José Ramírez Codina , Spanish, more often known as Pedro J. Ramírez, is a Spanish journalist. When he was appointed to manage Diario 16 at the age of 28, he became Spain's youngest editor of a national newspaper. In 1989 he founded the newspaper El Mundo, managing it continuously since then,...
(who still serves as publisher and editor), Balbino Fraga and Juan González, a journalist. As for its editorial line, it often expresses the mainstream views of the Spanish centre-right with independent and liberal overtones.
It has its headquarters in Madrid, but maintains several news bureaus in outlying cities, and different editions are printed for regions such as Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Valencia, Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, etc. Unlike other Spanish newspapers, its editor, Pedro J. Ramírez, is a prominent public figure who has become linked with the paper in the eyes of the public.
Today El Mundo, along with Marca
Marca (newspaper)
MARCA is a Spanish national daily sports newspaper owned by Unidad Editorial. The newspaper focuses primarily on football, in particular the day-to-day activities of Real Madrid CF...
and Expansión, is controlled by the Italian publishing company RCS MediaGroup
RCS MediaGroup
RCS MediaGroup S.p.A. , based in Milan and listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, is an international multimedia publishing group that operates in daily newspapers, magazines and books, radio broadcasting, new media and digital and satellite TV...
, through its Spanish subsidiary company Unidad Editorial S.L.
Political impact
El Mundo has played a key role in uncovering several scandals—among them embezzlement by the Commander of the Guardia Civil, and accusations of insider tradingInsider trading
Insider trading is the trading of a corporation's stock or other securities by individuals with potential access to non-public information about the company...
and tax fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
by the governor of the Central Bank of Spain
Banco de España
The Bank of Spain , is the national central bank of Spain. Established in Madrid in 1782 by Charles III, today the bank is a member of the European System of Central Banks.-History:...
. Investigative reporting by the staff of El Mundo also revealed connections between the terrorist Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación
Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación
Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación were death squads established illegally by officials of the Spanish government to fight ETA, the principal Basque separatist militant group. They were active from 1983 until 1987, under Spanish Socialist Workers Party -led governments...
(GAL) and the Socialist
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
administration of Felipe González
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
, revelations that contributed to his defeat in the 1996 elections.
In October 2005, El Mundo revealed that Nazi Aribert Heim
Aribert Heim
Aribert Ferdinand Heim was an Austrian doctor, also known as Dr. Death. As an SS doctor in a Nazi concentration camp in Mauthausen, he is accused of killing and torturing many inmates by various methods, such as direct injections of toxic compounds into the hearts of his victims...
(aka "Doctor Death") had been living in Spain for 20 years, probably with help from the ODESSA
ODESSA
The ODESSA, from the German Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen, meaning “Organization of Former SS Members,” is believed to have been an international Nazi network set up toward the end of World War II by a group of SS officers...
network, in collaboration with Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny was an SS-Obersturmbannführer in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he was chosen as the field commander to carry out the rescue mission that freed the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from captivity...
, who had helped set up one of the most important ODESSA bases of operation in Spain, during the rule of the late dictator Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
After the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings
The Madrid train bombings consisted of a series of coordinated bombings against the Cercanías system of Madrid, Spain on the morning of 11 March 2004 , killing 191 people and wounding 1,800...
, the newspapers El Mundo and La Razón
La Razón (Madrid)
La Razón is Spain's fifth highest-circulation general-interest daily newspaper based in Madrid. It is the newest of the five most read, having been founded in 1998 by Luis Maria Ansón....
, the regional television channel Telemadrid
Telemadrid
Telemadrid is the first autonomous public television station of Madrid and the fifth national station, after those of Catalonia, Euskadi, Galicia and Andalusia. It is affiliated with FORTA since its inception, and it is a public channel that belongs exclusively to the autonomous government of...
and the COPE
Cadena COPE
COPE, an acronym for Cadena de Ondas Populares Españolas is a private, right wing, commercial, Spanish radio network owned by a series of institutions within the Spanish Catholic Church...
radio network alleged that there had been inconsistencies in the explanations given by the Spanish judiciary about the bombings. Other Spanish media, such as El País, ABC
Diario ABC
ABC is a Spanish national daily newspaper founded in Madrid on January 1, 1903, by Torcuato Luca de Tena y Alvarez-Ossorio. ABC started as a weekly newspaper until it turned daily in June 1905. Today, ABC is the third largest general-interest newspaper in Spain, and the oldest newspaper still...
and the Cadena SER
Cadena SER
La Cadena SER is Spain's premier radio network in terms of both seniority and audience share...
radio network, accused El Mundo and the other media of manipulation over this issue. The bombings and the subsequent judicial showdown are still hotly debated in Spain today.
See also
- Spanish newspapers
- Controversies about the 2004 Madrid train bombingsControversies about the 2004 Madrid train bombings-Accuracy of government statements:The conservative PP government was accused of falsely blaming Euskadi Ta Askatasuna for the attacks. The very day of the attacks, police officials informed the Government that explosives usually used by ETA were found at the blast sites. This, along with other...