El País
Spanish-language daily newspaper, founded May 1976.
El País (pronounced [el paˈis], Spanish for “The Country”) is a daily newspaper in Spain, published in Spanish and headquartered in Madrid. It is owned by the media conglomerate PRISA. According to the first 2026 wave of the Estudio General de Medios (EGM), it had 854,000 readers, making it the most-read general-interest print daily in the country. In digital readership, GfK DAM data from 2025 ranked it fourth among Spain’s general-interest newspapers, with 17.6 million unique users. Alongside El Mundo and ABC, it is considered one of Madrid’s national newspapers of record for Spain. Its main editorial staff operates from Madrid, but it also has a presence in other Spanish cities. An America edition includes subeditions for Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina, and in 2024 a U.S. edition, El País US, was launched for Hispanic readers.
The paper was founded in May 1976 by a team at PRISA that included Jesús de Polanco, José Ortega Spottorno, and Carlos Mendo. Reinhard Gade and Julio Alonso designed it. Its first issue appeared on 4 May 1976, half a year after Francisco Franco’s death and as Spain’s transition to democracy began. At a time when other Spanish newspapers still reflected Francoist ideology, El País became the first pro-democracy daily. Circulation stood at 116,600 copies in its first year, rising to 138,000 in 1977. In 1978, amid political upheaval, a far-right terrorist attack on its building injured four people—two seriously—and killed one, also causing structural damage.
El País filled a market gap and became the newspaper of Spain’s democracy, earning the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and the Humanities in 1983, while the transition was still ongoing. Its first director, Juan Luis Cebrián, came from the daily Informaciones and had previously worked for Diario Pueblo, a mouthpiece of the Francoist vertical trade union, as many Spanish journalists of that era did. The paper cemented its reputation as a democratic bastion during the attempted coup of 23 February 1981, led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero of the Guardia Civil. That night, as parliament members were held hostage and tanks appeared in Valencia, and before King Juan Carlos I could broadcast a condemnation, El País published a special edition titled *El País, for the Constitution*. It was the first daily paper available during the crisis to take a pro-democracy stance, calling on citizens to demonstrate. The edition was widely discussed; Cebrián proposed a joint pro-democracy publication to the director of Diario 16, Pedro J. Ramírez, who declined, preferring to wait for the king’s broadcast. Diario 16 did not appear until after that speech. Following the failed coup, the 1982 electoral victory of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) with an absolute majority, and El País’s open support for Felipe González’s government, helped it surpass the conservative ABC in sales during the 1980s. In 1986, the Roosevelt Institute awarded it the Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech.
In 1987, El País received the largest amount of state aid. Its rigorous journalistic standards and status as the first Spanish newspaper to establish internal quality controls boosted its standing. It also pioneered the role of “Reader’s Advocate” and published a “Style Guide” that became a quality benchmark among journalists. The paper formed collaborative agreements with other European newspapers of a social democratic bent. In 1989, it helped create a common information network with Italy’s *La Repubblica* and France’s *Le Monde*. At the start of the 1990s, corruption scandals involving the PSOE government polarized Spanish politics and the press. Since then, the People’s Party (PP) and aligned media have accused El País and other PRISA-owned companies, along with Sogecable, of supporting PSOE interests. Despite this, El País remained Spain’s best-selling generalist daily, though its lead over *El Mundo* narrowed. It was the top-selling paper in 1993 and 1994, with circulations of 401,258 and 408,267 copies respectively. In 1995–1996, circulation reached 420,934 copies, again making it the country’s best-seller.
Since October 2001, an English-language supplement of El País has appeared in the Spanish edition of the *International Herald Tribune*, also available on El País’s website. Circulation that year was 433,617 copies, rising to 435,298 in 2002, and holding at 435,000 in 2003. On 11 March 2004, Spain experienced Europe’s first...
- known_for
- Pro-democracy stance during Spanish transition; most-read general-interest daily
Lore & Background
El País was founded in May 1976 by a team at PRISA which included Jesus de Polanco, José Ortega Spottorno, and Carlos Mendo. The paper was designed by Reinhard Gade and Julio Alonso. Its first editor-in-chief was Juan Luis Cebrián. Circulation was 116,600 copies in its first year, rising to 138,000 copies in 1977. In 1978, El País suffered a far-right terrorist attack due to political upheaval. Four people were injured, two greatly, and one died. The building also suffered structural damage. El País filled a gap in the market and became the newspaper of Spanish democracy, for which role it was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and the Humanities in 1983. Its reputation as a bastion of Spanish democracy was established during the attempted coup d'état by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero on 23 February 1981. During the uncertain situation of the night of 23 February 1981, El País published a special edition called 'El País, for the Constitution.' It was the first available daily paper during the situation with a pro-democracy position. It called on citizens to demonstrate in favor of democracy. Along with its commitment to democracy before the attempted coup, the electoral victory of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1982 with an absolute majority and its open support for the government of Felipe González meant that El País consolidated its position during the 1980s as the Spanish newspaper with the most sales ahead of the conservative leaning ABC. In 1986, El País was the recipient of the Four Freedoms Award for the Freedom of Speech by the Roosevelt Institute.
Reader's Guide
El País was the first Spanish newspaper to establish internal quality control standards, the first Spanish daily to create the role of 'Reader's Advocate', and the first to publish a 'Style Guide' that has since become a quality benchmark among journalists. It has established a number of collaborative agreements with other European newspapers with a social democratic viewpoint. In 1989, El País participated in the creation of a common network of information resources with La Repubblica in Italy and Le Monde in France. On March 11, 2004, Spain suffered Europe's first jihadist terror attack. The day of the attacks, then prime minister José María Aznar called El País editor in chief Jesús Ceberio and gave him assurances that the attacks had been planned and executed by the Basque terrorist group ETA. Despite having no other confirmation, Ceberio ran a front page blaming ETA for the attack, having to correct course the following day. Ceberio published an editorial piece accusing Aznar of manipulating him. El País was awarded the World's Best Designed Newspaper for 2006 by the Society for News Design (SND). On 24 January 2013, El País published a wrong report about the health status of then Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, with photography of an unknown man from a 2008 YouTube video, provided by the news agency Gtres Online and published on the front page of the paper's print edition as a picture of the Venezuelan president. In August 2019, the newspaper's online edition published an obituary of King Juan Carlos I even though the former monarch was actually recovering from major cardiac surgery. The El País management explained that the article was published due to an 'algorithm error.' On 23 May 2024, El País started publishing a US edition in both Spanish and English, aimed at Spanish-speakers residing in the US.
Did You Know?
- El País was the first pro-democracy newspaper in Spain, first published on 4 May 1976, six months after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.
- During the 1981 coup attempt, El País published a special edition called 'El País, for the Constitution' before the king's televised address, calling for pro-democracy demonstrations.
- In 1978, El País suffered a far-right terrorist attack that killed one person and injured four, two of them seriously.
- El País was the first Spanish daily to create the role of 'Reader's Advocate' and to publish a 'Style Guide' for journalists.
- On 23 May 2024, El País launched a US edition, El País US, aimed at Hispanic readers.
Birth in the Shadow of Dictatorship
El País emerged from the rubble of Franco's regime, first hitting newsstands on 4 May 1976—just six months after the dictator's death and at the very threshold of Spain's democratic transition. A team at the PRISA media conglomerate, including Jesús de Polanco, José Ortega Spottorno, and Carlos Mendo, conceived the paper, while Reinhard Gade and Julio Alonso shaped its visual identity. Juan Luis Cebrián, arriving from Informaciones, took the helm as first editor-in-chief. What made El País singular was its editorial stance: in a press landscape still saturated with Francoist ideology, it was the first daily to openly champion democracy. That conviction translated into readership almost immediately. Circulation climbed from 116,600 copies in its inaugural year to 138,000 by 1977. Yet the paper's democratic commitment carried real danger. In 1978, amid the political turbulence of the transition, a far-right terrorist attack struck the building, leaving four people injured—two seriously—and one dead, while the structure itself sustained significant damage.
The Night That Forged a Legacy
The night of 23 February 1981 remains El País's most defining hour. When Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero of the Guardia Civil stormed the Congress of Deputies, holding all members of parliament hostage while tanks rolled through Valencia, Spain teetered on the edge of civil war. Before King Juan Carlos I could reach viewers through state television to condemn the coup, El País had already printed and distributed a special edition titled 'El País, for the Constitution.' It was the first daily available that night carrying an explicit pro-democracy position, and it urged citizens to take to the streets in defense of democratic institutions. The edition generated such intense media discussion that editor Juan Luis Cebrián phoned Pedro J. Ramírez, then heading Diario 16, to propose a joint pro-democracy publication. Ramírez declined, saying he preferred to wait and see how events unfolded. Diario 16 did not appear until after the king's televised address. El País's swift, unambiguous stand that night cemented its reputation as the institutional voice of Spanish democracy.
Setting the Standard for Spanish Journalism
El País didn't just report the news; it built the infrastructure of professional journalism in Spain. It was the first Spanish newspaper to implement internal quality-control standards, the first to appoint a 'Reader's Advocate,' and the first to publish a formal Style Guide—a document that subsequently became a reference benchmark for journalists across the country. These institutional innovations, combined with rigorous editorial standards, elevated the paper's standing well beyond its circulation figures. Recognition followed: the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and the Humanities in 1983, and the Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech from the Roosevelt Institute in 1986. El País also reached beyond Spain's borders. In 1989, it joined La Repubblica of Italy and Le Monde of France in creating a shared network of information resources among European social-democratic dailies. Since October 2001, an English-language supplement has appeared within the Spanish edition of the International Herald Tribune, extending the paper's reach to international readers. The paper's headquarters remain in Madrid, though editorial presences extend to other Spanish cities, and it now produces an America edition with subeditions for Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina, plus a US edition launched in 2024 targeting Hispanic readers.
Circulation Dominance and Political Crossfire
From the mid-1980s through the early 2000s, El País held the crown of Spain's best-selling generalist daily. Its open support for the PSOE government of Felipe González, following the party's absolute-majority victory in 1982, helped consolidate that lead over the conservative ABC. Circulation figures tell the story: 401,258 copies in 1993, 408,267 in 1994, 420,934 in the 1995–96 period, 433,617 in 2001, and 435,298 the following year. Yet that same political alignment drew sustained accusation. The People's Party and its allied media repeatedly charged El País and the wider PRISA group, including Sogecable, with serving PSOE interests. The tension sharpened in the early 1990s as corruption scandals surrounding the González government polarized both the political class and the left-right press divide. Despite the controversy, El País maintained its top position in print. By the 2025–2026 period, it remained the most-read general-interest daily in Spain's print press with 854,000 readers per the EGM survey, and ranked fourth among the country's most-read digital newspapers with 17.6 million unique users according to GfK DAM data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is El País?
El País is a Spanish-language daily newspaper published in Madrid and owned by the PRISA media conglomerate. It is widely regarded as one of Spain's national newspapers of record, sitting alongside El Mundo and ABC.
When was El País founded and in what context?
The paper launched in May 1976, shortly after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. It quickly distinguished itself as the first major Spanish newspaper to openly champion democratic values during the country's political transition.
What role does El País play in Spanish journalism?
It is considered a national newspaper of record for Spain, meaning it serves as a primary reference point for the country's political and social events. Its pro-democracy editorial stance during the 1970s and 1980s cemented its position as a key voice in Spanish public discourse.
What major award has El País received?
In 1983 the newspaper was honored with the Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and the Humanities, a recognition of its lasting contribution to Spanish journalism and civic life.
How widely is El País read today?
According to the 2023 EGM readership survey, El País recorded roughly 854,000 print readers, making it the most-read general-interest daily newspaper in Spain.
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