El Espanol is rated Right-Center with Mostly Factual factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS
These media sources are slight to moderately conservative in bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes) to favor conservative causes. These sources are generally trustworthy for information but may require further investigation. See all Right-Center sources.
- Overall, we rate El Español Right-Center biased based on its liberal-conservative editorial orientation, strong criticism of left-wing governments, restrictive immigration framing, and favorable treatment of center-right policy perspectives. We rate it Mostly Factual due to substantial original reporting and generally credible sourcing, with deductions for loaded headlines, selective framing, occasional sourcing concerns, and some claims requiring correction or additional context.
Detailed Report
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER (4.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (4.3)
Country: Spain
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY
History
El Español is a Spanish digital newspaper founded in 2015 by veteran journalist Pedro J. Ramírez, the former co-founder and editor of El Mundo and Diario 16. It is headquartered in Madrid and publishes national politics, economics, international news, regional reporting, culture, science, and opinion.
Ramírez serves as executive chairman and director. The outlet was initially financed partly through a large crowdfunding campaign that attracted more than 5,000 small shareholders. By 2026, El Español had developed into one of Spain’s largest digital news organizations, reporting more than 70,000 active subscriptions and approximately €31 million in annual revenue.
Read our profile on Spain’s media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
El Español is published by El León de El Español Publicaciones S.A. Pedro J. Ramírez founded the company and remains its executive chairman, although ownership is distributed among numerous shareholders stemming partly from its original crowdfunding campaign.
Revenue comes from a diversified model including digital advertising, subscriptions, events, branded content, and related publishing activities. In 2023, the company reported €19.4 million in revenue, specifically crediting growth in advertising, subscriptions, and events; revenue had increased to approximately €27 million by 2024 and €31 million by 2025.
Analysis / Bias
El Español generally follows a liberal-conservative or center-right editorial line. Its straight-news reporting is typically more restrained than its editorials and political analysis, while opinion content is frequently critical of Spain’s Socialist-led governments, left-wing parties, Catalan separatism, and expansive immigration policies.
A 2022 academic study of Spanish media ideology based on audience interactions placed Spanish news organizations into identifiable ideological clusters and broadly supports El Español’s placement on the political right rather than with left-leaning outlets.
The newspaper’s own recent editorial language further demonstrates this orientation. In a June 2026 editorial, El Español described the Sánchez government as having undermined democratic norms and accused it of encouraging potentially fraudulent mass regularization of migrants, while calling for political accountability through elections, courts, and the press.
Straight-news articles are generally sourced from officials and identifiable institutions. For example, The Emergency Phase of the Seismic Risk Plan of Andalusia Has Been Activated reports official statements from Andalusian emergency authorities, damage reports, and public safety recommendations in a conventional news format.
Bias is much more evident in immigration reporting. In Ceuta Prison Quarantines Detained Invaders Due to the Risk of Infectious Diseases, the headline labels migrants as “invaders,” while related coverage emphasizes infectious-disease risks. Such terminology carries a strongly negative framing, unlike a neutral description such as “migrants.”
Likewise, The Jews of Ceuta Reject the “Outlandish” Theory That Implicates Israel in the Invasion again describes the migration episode as an “invasion.” The article provides the Jewish community’s response to conspiracy claims involving Israel, which is legitimate reporting, but the repeated framing reinforces the newspaper’s harder line on immigration.
El Español nevertheless publishes substantial original reporting and generally attributes information to officials, court documents, agencies, named sources, and other established news organizations.
Failed Fact Checks
- In June 2025, both Newtral and EFE Verifica debunked a fake El Español article claiming that Judge Juan Carlos Peinado received unexplained payments from PP and Vox politicians.
- Maldita has also scrutinized claims carried by El Español. During the July 2026 wildfire coverage, it noted that El Español and several other newspapers reported that only seven or eight of Spain’s fourteen firefighting aircraft were operational, while official information indicated ten were available and four were undergoing scheduled maintenance.
Overall, we rate El Español Right-Center biased based on its liberal-conservative editorial orientation, strong criticism of left-wing governments, restrictive immigration framing, and favorable treatment of center-right policy perspectives. We rate it Mostly Factual due to substantial original reporting and generally credible sourcing, with deductions for loaded headlines, selective framing, occasional sourcing concerns, and some claims requiring correction or additional context. (D. Van Zandt 08/15/2026)
Source: https://www.elespanol.com/
Last Updated on August 15, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources