How a Spanish newspaper became a powerhouse of investigative journalism and political influence

Cultures · Published 30 September 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1989, El Mundo quickly established itself as a pillar of Spanish media. Known for its secular centre-right stance, the paper has shaped national politics through aggressive investigative reporting, uncovering major corruption scandals that have toppled administrations and challenged the official narratives of the country's most traumatic modern events.

El Mundo, or 'The World', was launched on 23 October 1989 by a group of journalists including Pedro J. Ramírez, who had previously worked at Diario 16. From its headquarters in Madrid, the paper grew rapidly throughout the 1990s, eventually becoming one of Spain's three newspapers of record alongside El País and ABC. Today, it is controlled by the Italian publishing giant RCS MediaGroup through its Spanish subsidiary, Unidad Editorial S.L., which was formed in 2007 following a merger between Unedisa and Grupo Recoletos.

The paper is defined by its commitment to investigative journalism, which has frequently placed it at the center of national controversy. Its reporting exposed connections between the Socialist administration of Felipe González and the terrorist group GAL, a revelation that contributed to the government's defeat in the 1996 general elections. The paper also broke stories regarding embezzlement within the Guardia Civil and financial misconduct by the governor of the Central Bank of Spain. In 2005, it famously revealed that the Nazi war criminal Aribert Heim had been hiding in Spain for two decades.

However, its editorial choices have also sparked intense debate. Following the 2004 Madrid train bombings, El Mundo challenged the official judicial findings, leading to accusations of manipulation from rival media outlets like El País. This period of high-profile reporting eventually saw the 2014 firing of long-time editor Pedro J. Ramírez, who claimed his dismissal was linked to his coverage of corruption scandals involving Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. While the paper maintains a strong digital presence, it faces the same industry-wide pressures as other print media, with circulation numbers declining significantly since the 2008 financial crisis.

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