The Political Role of Spanish Press in Spanish Transition to Democracy, 1975-1978

Abstract

This article analyses the behavior and attitude of the Spanish press at the beginning of the transition towards democracy (November 1975 – December 1978), during the most significant political and institutional change. The role of the main newspapers is assessed from different perspectives, together with the reasons for their consensus on the basic issues that were in the public eye. Through examples from several papers, taken one by one and as a whole, we will explain the exceptional characteristics of this interesting relationship between politics and journalism, and also include some exceptions such as the ultra-right-wing press and the Basque nationalist sector.