Clarín (Argentine newspaper)
Clarín, the largest newspaper in Argentina and the second most circulated in the Spanish-speaking world, was founded on 28 August 1945 by Roberto Noble, a former minister of the Buenos Aires Province. It was among the first Argentine newspapers to adopt a tabloid format. By 1965 it had become the highest-selling newspaper in Argentina, and by 1985 it achieved the same status across the Spanish-speaking world. In 1967 it became the first Argentine paper to include a magazine with its Sunday edition; this supplement was later renamed "Viva" in 1994. The newspaper began dividing its news into topical supplements in 1969. Following Noble’s death in 1969, his widow, Ernestina Herrera de Noble, took over as director. Under her leadership, the paper faced financial difficulties and received a US$10 million loan in 1971 from economist Rogelio Julio Frigerio, whose centrist, pro-industry Integration and Development Movement (MID) the paper endorsed. On Frigerio’s advice, Héctor Magnetto was hired as an advisor in 1972 and later became the newspaper’s publisher. In 1977, Clarín joined La Nación and La Razón in purchasing the Papel Prensa paper company. The newspaper launched its website, clarin.com, in March 1996; by April 2011 it served nearly six million daily unique visitors in Argentina, making it the country’s fifth most visited website and the most visited site based in Argentina. In 1999, following a legal reform, the newspaper formed a media conglomerate, Grupo Clarín, which expanded into radio, television, the internet, and other newspapers. That same year, Goldman Sachs made a direct investment in the group, acquiring an 18% minority stake. The newspaper has historically identified with a centre-right, developmentalist, and industrialist editorial stance. It supported the Radical Civic Union candidate against Juan Perón in 1946 and backed the 1955 Revolución Libertadora. Its relationship with the Kirchner administrations shifted over time, moving from cooperation to open opposition, particularly after the paper opposed export taxes in 2008.
- Founder
- Roberto Noble
- Country
- Argentina
- Language
- Spanish
- Format
- Tabloid
- Website
- clarin.com
Lore & Background
Clarín was one of the first Argentine newspapers to be published in a tabloid format. It became the highest-selling newspaper in Argentina in 1965, and by 1985 it was the highest-selling Spanish-language newspaper in the world. It was also the first Argentine newspaper to include a magazine with its Sunday edition, a practice that began in 1967. In 1969, the newspaper began organizing its news into separate supplements by topic. The creation of Artes Gráficas Rioplatense in 1976 improved its high-color printing capabilities. The newspaper launched its website, clarin.com, in March 1996. The newspaper’s editorial stance has been defined as independent, with a centre-right orientation and a long-standing adherence to developmentalist ideology, particularly until the 1980s. It has been identified as an industrialist newspaper. The newspaper’s founder, Roberto Noble, was a former minister of Buenos Aires Province. After his death in 1969, his widow, Ernestina Herrera de Noble, succeeded him as director. The newspaper is part of the Clarín Group, a media conglomerate that began operating in 1999 following a law reform allowing it to collect various media supports, including radio, television, and internet. The newspaper is also a member of Periódicos Asociados Latinoamericanos, an organization of leading South American newspapers.
Reader's Guide
Clarín's significance lies in its long-standing dominance of the Argentine newspaper market and its role as a major media conglomerate. The newspaper adhered to developmentalism until the 1980s and was considered an 'industrialist' newspaper. Its relationship with the Kirchner governments shifted from alliance to open opposition, particularly after President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner implemented a controversial media law. Clarín is one of the few news organizations in Argentina that does not depend on government advertising subsidies, a fact its director Héctor Magnetto highlighted in defending press independence. Its website remains among the most visited in Argentina.
Did You Know?
- Clarín was one of the first Argentine newspapers published in tabloid format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clarín (Argentine newspaper)?
Clarín is Argentina's biggest daily newspaper, printed in Spanish in a tabloid format. It is also the second most widely circulated paper across all Spanish-speaking countries.
What editorial stance does Clarín (Argentine newspaper) take?
The paper has long been linked to a centre-right political orientation and a developmentalist view of economic policy. That positioning has made it a major voice in Argentine public debate for decades.
Why is Clarín (Argentine newspaper) considered important in the media landscape?
As the country's largest daily, it wields disproportionate influence over political and economic discourse in Argentina. Its reach as the second-biggest Spanish-language paper globally also gives it a role in shaping how regional audiences encounter news.
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