El Debate is rated Right with Mostly Factual factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
RIGHT BIAS
These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward conservative causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information reporting that may damage conservative causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Right Bias sources.
- Overall, we rate El Debate as Right-Biased based on its strong support for Christian-conservative social values, pro-life positions, free-market economics, Spanish nationalism, and its consistently negative framing of Spain’s left-wing government and progressive social policies. We rate it Mostly Factual because its reporting generally relies on identifiable and credible sources, but we deduct for highly partisan framing, loaded language, one-sided story selection, and a documented disputed claim.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT (6.6)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (4.4)
Country: Spain
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
El Debate is a Spanish digital newspaper launched in 2021 as the successor to the historic Catholic newspaper of the same name, which operated from 1910 until the Spanish Civil War. The modern publication is directed by veteran journalist Bieito Rubido, formerly director of ABC. El Debate describes itself as committed to Christian humanism, the unity of Spain, the monarchy, constitutional democracy, and the defense of life.
Read our profile on Spain media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
El Debate is published by Ediciones Católicos y Vida Pública, S.L.U. (EDICAVP) and is owned by the Asociación Católica de Propagandistas (ACdP), a Catholic organization that promotes Christian principles in public life. The publication is based in Madrid. Revenue comes from advertising, commercial activities, reader contributions, and voluntary recurring donations.
Analysis / Bias
El Debate reports from a conservative and Christian-humanist perspective. Its editorial principles support free-market economics, Spanish national unity, the monarchy, traditional family values, and Catholic social teaching. Director Bieito Rubido has publicly described the newspaper as “center-right” and said it defends a free-market economy inspired by Catholic social doctrine.
Current coverage frequently favors conservative positions and strongly criticizes Spain’s Socialist-led government. For example, Sánchez Seeks to Strengthen Himself with a Mass Regularization of Immigrants That Will Strain Services and Create a Pull Effect frames immigration policy negatively and argues that legalization will increase pressure on public services. Similarly, El Debate’s abortion coverage consistently reflects a pro-life perspective, with headlines emphasizing fetal life, criticism of abortion policy, and Catholic arguments against abortion.
The outlet also uses loaded political language. For example, All the Times the Government Defended Returning Immigrants: The Video That Exposes Sánchez and His Ministers describes migrants as “invaders” and accuses the government of disguising policy failures. Despite this ideological framing, reporting commonly cites official documents, government statistics, political statements, wire services, and direct interviews.
Failed Fact Checks
- Claim that the Spanish government intended to charge Valencia €320,000 for DANA mud analysis — MISLEADING/DISPUTED. Maldita reported that Spain’s CSIC said it would absorb the costs itself and would not bill the Valencian government.
Overall, we rate El Debate as Right-Biased based on its strong support for Christian-conservative social values, pro-life positions, free-market economics, Spanish nationalism, and its consistently negative framing of Spain’s left-wing government and progressive social policies. We rate it Mostly Factual because its reporting generally relies on identifiable and credible sources, but we deduct for highly partisan framing, loaded language, one-sided story selection, and a documented disputed claim. (D. Van Zandt 09/25/2026)
Source: https://www.eldebate.com/
Last Updated on September 25, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources